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Asia Jones (Environmental Science 鈥�22) was searching for change when she discovered New England College, the place that would become her home away from home. At age 11, Asia had just entered middle school when her mother passed away, leaving Asia and her younger sister in the care of their loving grandmother, Joyce Neal. They lived together in Palm Beach, Florida.

鈥淢y grandma even went to the trouble of buying a larger home so that my sister and I would have enough space.鈥� Family support didn鈥檛 stop with Neal, though. Asia鈥檚 four aunts stepped in to fill any gaps and to make sure Asia and her sister felt safe and loved. 鈥淭heir support made me who I am today.鈥澛�

And, when it came to Asia鈥檚 basketball games or her sister鈥檚 cheerleading competitions, their grandmother could be counted on to cheer from the stands. 鈥淪he is our biggest fan.鈥澛�

Asia received offers to play basketball at two Florida colleges, both of which she considered before realizing that her grandmother was right鈥攕he needed to be someplace new. As it turned out, NEC鈥檚 Head Women鈥檚 Basketball Coach, Erica Ledy, spotted Asia on the basketball court during a recruiting trip to see another player.

鈥淚 was at the Unsigned Senior Showcase at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida, checking out a prospective recruit, Bri Pierreval, when I noticed Asia playing point guard, and I liked how she played,鈥� remembers Ledy. 鈥淚t turned out that Bri and Asia were close friends, and I figured if I could get them both, I would have hit the jackpot.鈥� Ledy did recruit both women to play for the 逼哩逼哩Pilgrims. However, she couldn鈥檛 have known then the legacy Asia would leave at NEC.

鈥淚t was February 29, and we were at the NECC [New England Collegiate Conference] Championship game against Eastern Nazarene College on their home court,鈥� says Ledy. 鈥淭hey had beat us twice in the regular season, and the pressure was on. Our leading scorer fouled out. We wrote up a play, and the team ran it perfectly. Asia scored. Nazarene took the lead again. So, Asia ran it back down the floor and scored again.鈥� 逼哩逼哩won the Conference Championship that day, solidifying a two-year reign. Asia was named Most Valuable Player.聽

A month earlier, Asia鈥檚 family surprised her at the January 25 home game against Dean College. Fourteen of them filed into the stands to watch Asia play and to celebrate her upcoming birthday. Asia never missed a beat. 鈥淪he scored 15 points that game,鈥� Ledy says.

Now in her third year, Asia enjoys the hands-on learning opportunities, including wildlife collection and observation exercises, in her Environmental Science courses. And, like her peers, she has been subjected to course delivery modifications during the pandemic.

鈥淭he transition to remote learning hit me hard. I had been thriving in my interactive, on-ground courses, and I suddenly found聽 myself stationed in front of a computer screen. I don鈥檛 know how I would have managed聽without the advocacy and support of my coaches and professors.鈥�

Through it all, Asia鈥檚 grandmother still calls her every day to check in and make sure she is doing well. 鈥淪he reminds me that I have lots of reasons to be really proud of myself. No matter how many times I get knocked down in life, I know that I will never聽 give up. My grandmother taught me that, and my 逼哩逼哩family makes sure I won鈥檛 forget it.鈥�

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BS in Environmental Science
BA in Environmental Studies and Sustainability
BS in Biology
BS in Biology鈥擟onservation Biology Concentration
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