 Our second inductee is Alicia Bernard. Alicia played four seasons of softball and basketball from 2002 to 2006. In softball she ranks fifth in career batting average while on the hardwood Bernard scored nearly 800 career points and made 134 career three-pointers. She was a star. She played four years for me and her sophomore year I was able to recruit a couple freshmen that came in to help her and I told her you can go down to 15 shots because we had Cara Hill and I said you two can split the shooting you know and that way will help us. And they needed a type of player like that to grow the program. I remember visiting my senior year of high school and I remember seeing her and Cara Hill specifically both you know cornerstones of the team and thankful that they could build a program off of those two players and then it attracted more players and made us excited for the future because they were the foundation. If they didn't have those two players I don't know where the team would have built or grown from. It would have been very challenging for my freshman year and the team that came in at the time to be where we were by the time my senior year. So I'm very appreciative of having Alicia and Cara on the team to kind of set the pace for us and really grow from their time. She led us in steals she led us in assists she led us in three-point shooting she was like second or third in rebounding at five four she was your hustler she was your true dedicated athlete. She was the type of player that you want on your team her work ethic alone I mean it's unmatched I just don't like even at your best sometimes it's just not even as good enough as what she was giving she just had a sixth gear like you know she's diving all over the floor she's doing whatever it takes. She was so motivated to work hard and everything the other girls saw that and she took it with them and helped them worked with them they would stay after in practice became a great bond a great bond they saw that work ethic so they got into it and that helps you need someone to demonstrate and do it and then I'll follow. Just for the pure fact of her work ethic and the ability to rise above overcome adversity through some tough seasons and stick with it because she was a good basketball player and she could have went elsewhere but she stayed and she believed in the system and she's the epitome of exactly what a somewhat Hall of Fame member especially of a school like Bill or Julie growing into Stevenson like she's what kind of set the stage for everybody else and so we we wouldn't be where we are today without athletes like herself. From the class of 2006 it is my honor to welcome Alicia Bernard into the Dick Watts Athletics Hall of Fame. Wow that was awesome. I'd like to say what an honor and a privilege it is to be standing here this evening among the other inductees other athletes coaches friends and families I would also like to thank those who nominated me and all who voted for me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I am still in awe as this is a huge once-in-a-lifetime honor. Just a little background I started playing softball in the third grade and my basketball career started a little later in seventh grade. Athletics quickly became a part of who I was and I yearned for that feeling of camaraderie I would get when I'm playing and being a part of a team. Being an athlete helped me mold into the woman I am today. I learned hard work, dedication, commitment, acceptance, and accountability. Over the years I never dreamed that one day I'd be standing here at my alma mater accepting such a prestigious award. I must give a huge thank you to coach Chris Raymer as he was the reason I landed at Villa Julie. As a high school senior coach was in the stands at one of my basketball games I remember after the game he introduced himself I'm Chris Raymer women's basketball coach at Villa Julie and we'd love to have you play for us. I remember thinking awesome Villa Julie where is that? Spoke of the team he told me how there were girls that had never played basketball before college and how they were trying to build the program. I respected his honesty and I could speak for hours on the type of person coach Raymer is I promise not to. Coach is a one-of-a-kind man he had a way of making you feel lazy. 8 a.m. I'd show up to college for class he probably already put in a full game of racquetball went for a run. He was a very energetic man and he had a saying for almost any situation. If you weren't hustling at practice he'd say grandma's slow but she's old and if you ever ever thought of play coach would say just kiss keep it simple stupid. I come from a small town in western Maryland and I think he comes from about the same area it earned me the nicknames hillbilly handcock. He'd call me pretty much something every practice every game I'm not real sure he knows my actual name. If I can say one thing about coach Raymer he really cared about his girls he cared about the success whether it was in basketball academics or in life. He was like a dad away from home he really made the team feel like an extended family. The gym was one place I could go and not feel homesick those first few months at Villa Julie. Coach Raymer you had more heart more soul and more love for the game of basketball than anyone I know and I want you to know that I continue to admire you today so thank you. My first year as a Mustang I saw first hand what coach meant in terms of team building we went 0 and 25 that year. I hate to lose talk about a humbling experience my soft point small sophomore year I will never forget that first win over Wilson College it was an away game and you would have thought we won the NCAA championship it was a big deal for the Lady Mustangs. The next few years looked up more players came in Cara Hill Tonya Cristino just to name a few and we became a competitive team. My senior year we had a winning record and we were even eligible for a spot in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately we did not make it but when I was playing my last few games at Villa the future of women's basketball was very bright and they would continue to be competitive. I am proud to say that I was a member of the Villa Julie basketball team under coach Chris Raymer. Villa Julie College has come a very long way from the days I was here I've been back to campus probably a handful of times and I walk around I see the new fields the gorgeous locker rooms the new facilities I'm so jealous I was a I was a two sport athlete luckily as a basketball player we had a gym we had a place to play our games but with softball I saw firsthand the lack of facilities we had to be creative we didn't have a field to practice on we didn't have a field for player home games on. I remember practicing on the grass in the front of the college and having coach Ken and coach Stephanie hit ground balls on the tennis courts. Even for our home games we had to drive clear to Severna Park. Coach Ken would be in all of the softball field today I mean there's dugouts and stadium seating it's pretty impressive. I didn't plan on playing college and so I didn't plan on playing softball in college but as a freshman I was finishing up basketball and I'd never not played softball so I figured I'll try out my best memory of softball my first game at galley dot university first batter up first pitch and I had never been considered a power hitter I was known for my bunting in high school boom home run over the fence and it never happened again. I'd uh I'd like to acknowledge my coaches Kenny balance may he rest in peace and coach Stephanie Myerson um for allowing me to reach my potential as a college softball player and for believing in my abilities as an outfielder. I also need to thank Tonya Cristina for her presence and friendship during my time at villa. We still talk about how we first met sitting in coach trainer's office watching a basketball skills video little did I know the impact she would have on my time at villa. Tonya quickly became one of my best friends on and off the court. I loved playing alongside her she was the type of person that made everyone better she always pushed to get me to play one-on-one or hit the weight room for more workouts. Tonya made me a better basketball player and I truly feel she's one of the reasons I'm being inducted today. Most importantly I would like to thank my parents without them I wouldn't be the woman I am today they taught me hard work dedication respect humility and integrity they pushed me to excel in athletics and academics and in life they encouraged me to try new things and never let me quit even if I didn't like something. Each game I played here Homer away I knew when I looked into the stands my parents would be there my parents have always set that tone in life they were always and always will be there my parents are my biggest fans we're then and still are now and I can't thank them enough lastly I want to say to my daughter Tristan here you all here I hope one day you'll be a part of a college that makes you feel like family just as I did during my time here at VJC thank you