Maria Noucas '09

Maria Noucas

Maria Noucas '09

Major: Sociology; Minor: Education Studies
Hometown: Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Why did you choose to come to Bowdoin?
I first became interested in Bowdoin after being contacted by former head basketball coach Stefanie Pemper. On my visit to the College, I noticed something that differentiated the campus from my other final choices: everyone said "hi" to me. The weekend before that visit, I had stayed with a team at a school located in a big city. I loved the city because of all of the buzz and constant action, yet Bowdoin made me feel more comfortable. Meeting welcoming students gave me a taste of how great the Bowdoin community was. I instantly felt like a part of the school.

Why did you choose your major?
After taking Sociology 101 with Professor Joe Bandy, I knew I wanted to be a sociology major. Since then, I've always described my major as the major of life. I've studied societal patterns and behavior through my major; everything ranging from social class to the sociological impact of food on society in a senior seminar. The sociology major has allowed me to study some of the biggest problems in our society such as social class and racism.

What has been a course you especially enjoyed at Bowdoin?
Education and Law with Professor George Isaacson. From the first day of class, he taught us using the Socratic Method, as a means to introduce us to the way that law school classes function. While at first this method seemed daunting, it challenged every student to come intensely prepared to recite facts and opinions from every case we studied. We never knew which side Professor Isaacson fell on in any court decision because he constantly played devil's advocate, forcing us to form intelligent and well thought out opinions.

What professor or professors have especially inspired you during your time at Bowdoin?
Professor Craig McEwen in the sociology department. After I took Maine Social Research with Professor McEwen, he inspired me to try to institute change in the world. In his class, we interviewed families who were facing housing problems in the greater Brunswick area. This was a beneficial experience because I became immersed into a world that I was not entirely familiar with. Instead of just reading and theorizing about socioeconomic problems, we actually viewed them first-hand and came up with our own solutions.

After the class, I approached Professor McEwen and asked if I could do an independent study with him. He inquired what I wanted to do with my life, and I told him I wanted to coach basketball. He suggested I do an independent study on coaching, which I initially had doubts about. Though it was difficult for me to figure out a way to link sociology with coaching, after writing 78 pages and studying with him for an entire semester, Professor McEwen dispelled my doubts. He wants each student to improve their writing in his class, and takes it as his personal challenge to make every student better.

What extracurricular or work experiences have you had at Bowdoin?
I played on the women's basketball team for four years. This experience brought me my closest friends, my greatest challenges, and my most rewarding successes. Playing college basketball taught me how to work incredibly hard towards big goals.

Peace_Wall.jpg
Maria and Alexa Kaubris '09 (foreground) writing peace messages on the Peace Wall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Playing on the team also allowed me to travel around the world. Last August, we spent two weeks visiting Poland and Ireland. The combination of playing the sport I love in foreign countries with my best friends created an experience filled with lots of wins and good laughs. We also went to Puerto Rico my first year. We never spent one night in the same hotel, for we traveled around the entire island taking in popular tourist destinations as well as the real Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican beaches are the best beaches I ever visited because of the large waves and warm water; I could stay in the water all day.

What have you done during your summers?
I worked at college basketball camps during my summers. They served as an internship for college coaching, and I made connections with various college coaches in the Northeast. These camps provided me a chance to stay around the game all summer and train with players in higher divisions of basketball. I also got the chance to teach younger kids how to play basketball, something I am very passionate about.

I also coached an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team during the summer in my old AAU program, the New England Crusaders. Watching a player take what I taught them and use it successfully in a game is quite gratifying for me.

What is your best Bowdoin memory?
Winning the NESCAC Championship my senior year. After going through a coaching change between my junior and senior year, I think a lot of people had written our team off. However, our new coach Adrienne Shibles carried on the great tradition left by Stefanie Pemper. We battled through a season filled with adversity; yet with injuries and some losses, we just kept getting better. Beating Amherst on our home floor after they ended our season the year before was an incredible experience for me. It was a stellar way to top off a successful career.

What are your plans for after graduation?
I am planning to get into coaching at the college level. Through various camps and the teams I played on, I have created connections that should help me get a foot in the door in some programs. I want to coach because I love basketball and want to stay involved in the game. Coaching creates the opportunity to improve my basketball knowledge and pass it on to other athletes. I find coaching in the off-season helps my game so much.

What advice would you give to a prospective student or first-year about the Bowdoin experience?
Take community service learning classes! Once I found them my junior year, I took at least one every semester for the rest of my time at Bowdoin. It is so easy to get caught in the Bowdoin bubble and only live in the world on campus. However, community service learning classes allow you to become involved in the lives of people outside of the College.

What quirky or fun thing do you wish you had known before you came to Bowdoin?
The basketball team does more than just play the game and practice. It carries on many traditions that bring the team close each year. Between Secret Santa and Olympiad (we dress up in costumes and have team Olympics at practice), the basketball team functions more than to just play games; it becomes your family. These traditions provide us with relaxing times after intense games; basketball is supposed to be fun, and at Bowdoin it always is.

Story posted on May 01, 2009

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