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Finance | Men's Lacrosse
This year’s Men’s Lacrosse roster feels a lot like family. What does that mean to Brandon? Everything!
“Knowing that I have 30 brothers that will show up for me – it’s so much fun going to battle with these guys,” he said.
Leaning on their mentality to play for each other, the team broke an Emmanuel program record twice in the month of March: scoring an all-time high 24 goals in a game against Elms College, and then breaking it a few weeks later with 25 goals against Colby Sawyer.
The camaraderie they’ve built upon since preseason has been a tone-setter for Brandon not only on the field, but also as a student and a member of the Emmanuel community.
Beyond the Game: Saints student-athletes get the best of both worlds, building their future on and off the field.
When Brandon visited Emmanuel and saw the activity on the Quad, the people here and the city surrounding it – he was able to picture himself as a Saint – and picture himself succeeding academically while competing in lacrosse.
“Seeing the energy around this campus makes you want to be a part of something,” he said.
At Emmanuel, the responsibility of being part of a team goes beyond relationships with teammates. Brandon said Head Coach Trevor Craven consistently reminds player to represent themselves as great members of the community not just on the field, but all across campus and in the classroom, too.
“He wants to make sure no matter what it is, we put our best foot forward,” Brandon said. “He pushes us in everything and is always helpful when we need it.”
Across athletics and academics, discipline is the name of the game for Brandon. Every Sunday, he takes the time to map out his week, set deadlines for himself and outline time for himself to study.
Other than that, he keeps it simple: the night before a game, he eats Chipotle. And when it’s time to throw on his gear, he always does the left side first.
By staying consistent with his schedule and keeping his routine lowkey, he knows he can keep a clear mind and apply his best to everything on his plate.
“Brandon Shuman '27Studying is just like practice: they go hand in hand. Putting the work in means it will come together and pay off in games - just like in exams."
With his Finance major, he hopes to go into advising and to help people with their money. On top of dealing with the numbers, the relationship building aspect of the job is also an interest for Brandon – which he draws from being involved in Emmanuel’s community and supporting his teammates and peers.
In just the few years he’s been at Emmanuel, Brandon feels like he’s seen the School of Business & Management continue to grow.
Seeing his peers find great opportunities in the city – and at the same time seeing employers express their excitement to have Saints on board – is an example of that, Brandon said.
He said it comes from the College’s highly accessible faculty and small class sizes, which foster classroom environments where he feels comfortable to ask questions and seek clarity on important concepts. Tapping into these resources has been a major factor in Brandon’s learning.
“I didn’t want to just be one name on a huge attendance sheet, I wanted to be fully apart of every class I’m in,” he said.
He’s happy to reminisce about the times he’s made Dean’s List, or about an overtime victory against lacrosse rival Lasell University, but Brandon has eyes on finishing the season and academic year strong.
“It’s a breathtaking feeling to find success in those moments. It’s like seeing that A on an exam you weren’t completely sure about, it’s when your work actually pays off,” Brandon said.
From coaches and team captains to faculty and family, he hasn’t overlooked all the support that has gotten him this far – support he plans to pay back in full by being the best he can be.
“Especially my family: I owe them everything, they’ve worked so hard for me to be here and I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to thrive here because of them,” Brandon said.