General | 4/15/2021 1:01:00 PM
Queens, New York - The City University of New York Athletic Conference has announced their Scholar-Athletes of the Year for the 2020-2021 season, recognizing their best and brightest student-athletes who excel in athletics and the classroom. BMCC women's soccer player Fatou Gibba (Bronx, New York) was named Scholar-Athlete of The Year by the CUNY Athletic Conference as a top female student-athlete at the community college level.
"This award is given out to a select few CUNY student-athletes that excel both on the field and in the classroom," said Dakota Olson, Coordinator of BMCC Athletics. "Fatou has worked tirelessly to maintain a high GPA and graduate in two years while balancing the obligations of competing on our soccer team with the added pressure that all students have faced during the pandemic. It is an incredible honor for her to be recognized among the top student-athletes in the CUNY Athletic Conference, and we are proud to have her representing BMCC."
Gibba was born and raised in The Gambia, in West Africa. At the age of 11, she moved to Cuba and then Venezuela. In 2013, she moved with her family to Seattle and moved to New York City two years later. Gibba enrolled at BMCC in Fall 2019 and will graduate in Fall 2021 with an associate degree in criminal justice.
While growing up, she was always into athletic activities that involved physical strength, she said. In high school, she joined the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).
When she began classes at BMCC, Gibba says she was initially nervous about starting college, but getting involved in the athletics program helped build her confidence. She says she has always been into competitive sports. Only recently did she realize that soccer was the game for her.
"Soccer makes me feel alive, and having these encouraging and amazing coaches and managers making sure I was keeping up with my classes while also playing my best for the team helped me a lot," said Gibba. "I love everything about it— the chase, the run, the aggression, the technique, and especially the teamwork," said Gibba.
Gibba, a member of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, women's soccer team, was exceptional in the classroom boasting a 3.66 grade-point average. Gibba appeared in all six matches with five starts for the Panthers during the 2019 Fall season. The 5'4 defender provided a jolt to the BMCC backline, helping them a pair of wins over CUNYAC opponent Kingsborough.
After she graduates from BMCC, Gibba plans to attend Hofstra University for the dual degree program in criminal justice and linguistics, which could give her a competitive advantage in a criminal justice career. She also wants to become a professional athlete.
"However, the professional athlete career path is hard without the right connections and management," said Gibba. "I'll say in 10 years, I see myself becoming an FBI agent."
For a complete list of the CUNYAC Scholar-Athletes Of The Year, click here.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The athletic program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of seven varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For the latest news on the Panthers, please visit us at https://bmccathletics.com - The official site of BMCC Athletics. Follow the Panthers on Instagram (@bmcc_athletics) and Twitter (@BMCCAthletics), and Like Us on Facebook (BMCC Athletics).
