“You can do so much more than you think,” student-athlete Samantha Ingram said.
The soon-to-be Loyola graduate is more than an indoor and beach volleyball player – a feat in itself. Ingram is a history major, coach, and transfer student from Texas.
Ingram came to New Orleans in 2022, making her time at Loyola only a few years.
From experiencing Mardi Gras for the first time to learning about the rich history of the city, Ingram says she’s grateful to be in New Orleans, especially as a history major.
After transferring from a junior college, Loyola gave her the full college experience that she felt she missed out on. Ingram said she was able to have more community involvement compared to her old school.
“It’s definitely a different vibe. You get to have DJ PJ in the quad or like the homecoming stuff; there was none of that at my JuCo,” Ingram said.
Ingram said she was “perfectly content” quitting volleyball and simply being a college student.
However, Ingram said her mom wasn’t a big fan of that plan, so she went into the transfer portal instead and found herself a part of the pack.
“As Coach Robbie would say, you just have to keep climbing the mountain,” she said, quoting her volleyball coach.
Upon graduation, Ingram will move to Illinois to serve as the assistant coach for volleyball at Rock Valley College. Ingram said she is excited to be a coach and be on the other side of athletics.
“I was done being the athlete in athletics. I think that chapter has closed for me,” the volleyball player said. “I loved it and had the best time but I am excited to be challenged in a different way.”
In her new position, Ingram plans to put a large emphasis on mental health. Ingram said she sees that college athletes base a lot of their worth on their performance.
According to Ingram, the mental health game as an athlete is the most challenging thing she’s ever done.
“I would focus more on building the person than the player,” Ingram said. “More than anything, I just want to help people become better people. Better athletes are just four years of your life.”
As Ingram’s senior year is coming to an end, she has a lot to reflect on; as for takeaways, Ingram has two.
One: taking time to build friendships and using the time to figure out who you are as a person is essential. After creating her support system, Ingram said her journey became a little bit easier.
“Now’s the time to make a community for yourself because those people are the people you are going to carry with you for your life,” she said.
And two: You have to believe in yourself more than the doubt you have, she said. Ingram added that she sometimes bet on others more than herself, but volleyball taught her to trust herself and take a chance.
“Bet on yourself,” Ingram said. “You can do the whole dang thing, just bet on yourself.”
