Shawnte’ Goff

Name Shawnte’ Goff                         
Age: 22
Major: Communications
Hometown: Copperas Cove, Texas 

Why UTRGV?
I chose to attend UTRGV of course for the education, but I also got a basketball scholarship to this school and I really liked the coach. What I like most about UTRGV is that it’s close to home and my family can come see me any time. What this school offers me that I might not experience at other universities is how family oriented it is. Family is put first here. 

What made you decide on your current major?
At first I wasn’t sure what I would major in. I actually didn’t decide until the second semester of my sophomore year. The thing that interested me most about majoring in communications is that I love to talk and I am also interested in learning about the different ways of communication, nonverbal or verbal. My mom always told me I could be a really good sports analyst so I felt like majoring in communications would be the first step in trying to do that after my basketball career is over.

What are your plans after graduation?
My plan after I graduate college is to play professional basketball overseas. It’s always been my dream to play basketball professionally. I would love to go play for Spain, but I will be open to whatever place I can get that is the best fit for me. 

What are you involved in on and off campus?
I am a part of the women’s basketball team here on campus and that is pretty much it. We do participate in a lot of community service so I always use that opportunity to try and give back to the community. 

What is your biggest accomplishment to date?
My biggest accomplishment other than being a part of the basketball team and helping them to reach winning seasons would be graduating college on time. I am the first in my family to go straight from high school to college and I am just blessed to be able to finish in four years. I am also very proud of continually making the dean’s list and being able to keep my GPA above a 3.0. 

What advice do you have for future students?
The advice I would give future students is to just enjoy your time being young and being in college. I know everyone (including me at one point) is so eager to hurry up and basically rush through college. But I feel like college is a good learning experience and we should take our time and really absorb everything that not only this university, but other universities have to offer. Also, it is very important to have good time management skills. At one point, you will be drowning in homework, studying for tests, projects, etc., so it is very important to be able to learn how to do everything in a timely fashion and not put everything off until the last minute.