Duke MMS Student Blog
Meet Emma Hamm: Student & Lacrosse Athlete
MMS student Emma Hamm had a packed schedule outside of school. She’s played on the Duke Women’s Lacrosse team and was a first team All-American last season, as well as a finalist for the Women’s Tewaaraton Award in 2011, which is given to the country’s best player. (See some of her other career stats online.) The women’s lacrosse team starts play in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, so I thought it would be a perfect time to profile Emma through a Q&A:
To start, how did you get into lacrosse?
I started playing lacrosse in 7th grade when I began to get sick of softball. All of my basketball friends were playing lacrosse, so they told me to come to a practice. I fell in love with lacrosse because it was a combination of the soccer field sense, and basketball movement and mindset. Needless to say, I ditched softball with ease and loved the freshness of lacrosse.
Why did you to come to Duke for undergrad?
I came to Duke because nothing tops their combination of elite academics and athletics. The people here are just as smart as students at any school; Dukies just have more passion about school spirit and athletics, which drew me in. I also loved the team and coaching staff when I was being recruited, and that helped bring me here.
What was your undergrad major?
I studied psychology in undergrad. I also got a certificate in Markets and Management Studies, which is halfway between a minor and a major.
How do you feel about the way your season has gone so far?
Our season has been quite interesting, as always. This year we’ve had a lot more downs than we’ve had in the recent past, but the ups have been awesome, and we are truly starting to peak at the right time.
How do you feel about your NCAA Tournament game against UVA on Sunday?
I am SO pumped for our game on Sunday because not only is it an ACC rivalry, but it’s also a chance for us to get back a game that we lost earlier this season. We have the higher seed, so we are fortunate enough to be hosting the game, and I literally cannot wait until Sunday at 2 pm to play this game!
What have been the challenges of balancing out lacrosse with the MMS curriculum?
It has been very challenging to balance my lacrosse schedule with the MMS curriculum. I hate the feeling of missing out on things, and I feel like I was not able to invest as fully in MMS as I would’ve without being an athlete. But I learned to manage my time. The hardest part was probably for my academic teams because they always had to work around my schedule, so shout out to my MMS teams for being understanding and having my back! The MMS program was very different than my undergrad experience, but I learned a lot about myself throughout the challenges, so I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
What’s your favorite thing about Duke?
My favorite thing about Duke is definitely the school spirit and craziness.
Favorite thing about Durham?
The endless, good restaurants! My friends and I have attempted to try new restaurants as often as possible, and I am astonished that there are still more to try, and they are almost always beyond delicious. I am definitely going to miss a lot of food when I leave this place after five years!!
What are your favorite restaurants in Durham?
I would say Q-Shack for some southern BBQ or Satisfaction!
Thanks for taking the time to chat, Emma, and good luck in the NCAA Tournament against UVA on Sunday!