BALTIMORE, Md. — Notre Dame of Maryland University will celebrate their second annual Giving Day on February 12, 2019 - a day where alumnae and alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends will have the opportunity to directly impact Notre Dame student-athlete population through the Gator Fund.  The Gator Fund can be accessed through the Notre Dame Gators webpage at notredamegators.com/donate.
 
This week, we've had the opportunity to highlight just a few of Notre Dame's talented and driven student-athletes and alums.  Today, we feature Isa Carunungan a junior softball student-athlete for the Gators that has experienced new career ambitions in help from opportunities provided playing collegiate athletics.
 
 
Carunungan has made 46 appearances for the Gators in her two season on the NDMU softball team.  She has recorded 138 plate appearances, notching 29 runs, 57 hits, and 23 RBIs.  In her two seasons, Carunungan has seen time at many positions for the Gators.  In both her seasons, she was named to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Honorable Mention team.  She not only is a big player on the field, but she is an active member on the NDMU campus. 
 
Carunungan currently serves as the Vice President of Omega Phi Alpha, the Vice President of Pitch Fit, is active in music ministry, and is currently a student ambassador.  She was first drawn to NDMU because of the inclusive nature of the campus.  After coming to a recruit overnight, she felt immediately welcomed to the community.  
 
In October 2018, it was announced that Carunungan was accepted to the 2019 NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program — a select group of 40 ethnic minority student-athletes from across all Division III institutions.  The NCAA Office of Inclusion and Division III governance offices joined forces in 2015 to help develop the Student Immersion Program to promote opportunities for ethnic minority student-athletes that show a strong interest in future roles in Division III coaching or administration.
 
In January, Carunungan traveled to Orlando, Florida to participate in the NCAA Convention as part of the Immersion Program.  In the fourth year for the program, Carunungan had a chance to learn about the ins and outs of collegiate athletics and the opportunities available especially for a person of color in athletics.  
 
Part of the program included getting connected with career path mentors that are currently working athletics nationally.  They will be contacts throughout the program as the student-athletes pursue careers after graduation.  As part of the program, the students met up with former members of the Immersion Program, an opportunity Carunungan will also have in the future.
 
Throughout the week, Carunungan also participated in several NCAA programing including the DiSC Assessment - an assessment that measures behavioral differences and educates individuals how communicate and work within those differences.  The group also attended several business sessions and conference meetings.  One of the business sessions Carunungan had the chance to attend was about mental health in athletics, an area of special interest.
 
Carunungan found the trip to Orlando enlightening and came back to Baltimore with a newfound confidence.  Similar to her teammate, Sammy Kastner, Carunungan has found new motivation in her career goals.  Carunungan as a psychology major, would like to work in sports science and study mental health of athletes.  The networking opportunities will certainly help in her future goals as she advances in her major.
 
Carunungan will enter her third season of softball when the NDMU softball team opens their 2019 season in Virginia Beach in March.
 
Notre Dame basketball is in action tomorrow, February 9, hosting CSAC opponent Bryn Athyn College.  The Gators are in the playoffs for the first time in the CSAC-era.  On Sunday, we introduce you the two basketball seniors Justine Mudiay and Justice Walrath and hear about their journey at Notre Dame.