Georgia Bourikas | Hometown: Hull, Mass. | Fine Arts

Suffolk University has given me more opportunities than I could’ve ever imagined. When looking at colleges back in high school, Suffolk outweighed my other options for two reasons: Suffolk offered an opportunity for me to play basketball for an elite program, while also allowing me to study Fine Arts. Unlike all of my other prospective colleges, I didn’t have to settle for one or the other. Suffolk University allowed me the opportunity to become the best version of myself. 

I have had an experience like no other in my five years at Suffolk. One perk of going to a small school like Suffolk is that you get to meet so many people; this is also true of the athletic program. The athletic community at Suffolk is a special one and I am grateful to have made so many friendships that will last a lifetime. The greatest gift that Suffolk has given me was a second family. Playing basketball at Suffolk is more than just playing on a team. It’s wearing your jersey with pride, playing for the girls that will become your best friends and sisters, and playing because you love the game.  

There are so many people I would like to thank for allowing me countless opportunities to achieve amazing things during my time at Suffolk. 

Coach Leyden,

Thank you. Thank you for calling me at least once a week when I was a junior and senior in high school, for coming to my games, for expressing your interest in me, and for “tricking” me into coming to Suffolk. Thank you for having confidence in my ability and allowing me to step on the court as a Ram. Thank you for always yelling at me to shoot, and telling me to not second guess myself, and letting me be a “free spirit”.  

To my family,

Thank you for pushing me to my breaking point countless times, without that I would’ve never learned resiliency and strength. Thank you for being my biggest supporters through it all. From driving two hours to AAU practices everyday, from coming to all of my games throughout high school and college, for believing in me from the very beginning, and for being my biggest fans. Thank you Tori for telling me how proud you were of me after every game, even though you were thousands of miles away in Europe. Thank you for making me a better player mentally and physically by working out with me and telling me what a great player I have become.  

To Dan Norton, 

Thank you for your unwavering support through AAU and my college career. Sorry for calling you at 2 a.m., crying because I wanted to play my fifth year at Suffolk and I thought it was too late. Thank you for listening and convincing me to call coach and ask to come back. You not only developed my game as a player, but how I saw the game as a coach. Thank you for being my mentor and friend, I wouldn’t be here without you.  

To my teammates, 

Thank you for welcoming me back with open arms. Thank you for your constant support on and off the court and for letting me be the team “mom”. I was so lucky that in my final year as a Ram, I had a talented, friendly, and caring group of athletes by my side. Keep working hard and get that GNAC that you all deserve. Do the Meg Tracy workouts, push each other in pickup, and just enjoy each others company, because it flies by all too fast. Take the incoming freshmen under your wings and help them, because they’ll need it. Remember how you were as freshmen and help show them what our team, our culture, and what Suffolk athletics are all about. I believe in every single one of you as people and as basketball players.  

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  

Love, 

Georgia Bourikas