Tessa Hastings, University of Dallas, Women's Basketball - Character & Community

Tessa Hastings, University of Dallas, Women's Basketball - Character & Community

TESSA HASTINGS OF UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS, a first-year forward on the women's basketball team from Tuscon, Ariz., has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete of the Week for the week beginning January 16.

The SCAC Character & Community award honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.



Tessa was always meant to go to the University of Dallas. With a slew of family members who have attended, including her own sisters, there was hardly anywhere else she could go. But besides being a legacy student, Tessa knew that UD was the place for her because of the tight-knit community the school has become known for.

“I’ve known about it (UD) for so long and I was really drawn to the school,” said Hastings. “I wanted to go somewhere where I could openly practice my Catholic faith…because it is a smaller school, I really liked how everyone was really close. It just felt like sort of a family, homey environment that I really liked.”

In high school, Tessa was a member of the National Honors Society and served on the Student Council, using her time to put on events for new and incoming students. Outside of school she took on various projects, including youth basketball camps, going to nursing homes and spending time with the elderly, and serving at the local women’s homeless shelter with her mother.

“For me, I always really enjoyed this (serving at the homeless shelter). It made me feel like I was really making an impact in the community. Even just something as small as handing out a sack lunch to someone you never met, or someone who is going through a tough time. For me, it made me feel like I was making a difference and serving the community as well as I could,” said Hastings.

In her short time at UD, Tessa has already cemented herself as one of the cornerstone players of the women’s basketball team. As a freshman, she is second on the team in scoring with 171 points (11.4 ppg) and leads the team in three-point shooting percentage at 46.3%. Even while she has been busy acclimating to college life, she has still found time to help give back to the community and is eager to do more.

“I’ve been involved in a couple of outreach programs, like the coat drive we put on for local kids in the area as well as the Toys for Tots drive that we put on around Christmas time.  As I continue on, I hope to become more involved in FCA as well as other ways I can get involved and help the community.”

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