By Jefferson Geiger
Marisa Sanchez-Henry ’24 followed in her family’s footsteps in more ways than one — and the path has converged in unexpected ways as she culminates her time at Wagner College.
The senior from Ellicott City, Md., picked up a basketball at age 5 to emulate her older sister, Gabriella. She developed into a Division I recruit, accepting Wagner College’s offer because of the school’s small class sizes and beautiful Grymes Hill campus.
Sanchez-Henry also knew she wanted to work in health care like her parents (a physician and an OB-GYN nurse) as well as her grandmother, aunt and sister, who are all nurses. Sanchez-Henry began her Wagner career in the pre-medical program before switching to nursing. She was drawn to the concept of forming a bond with a patient as she comforts them during what could be the worst moments of their life.
Assistant Professor Josephine Marcantonio has taught her in multiple modules, witnessing her dedication, teamwork, discipline, empathy and other valuable nursing skills firsthand.
“There are certain qualities you can teach anybody to be a good nurse, and then there are innate qualities that make you a great nurse,” Marcantonio said. “She naturally has those qualities. She really does shine.”
Sanchez-Henry hopes to one day apply those talents working in an intensive care unit.
“Nurses are the engine of the hospital,” Sanchez-Henry said. “They are what make everything flow. I want to be a part of that.”
Sanchez-Henry makes the Seahawks offense flow, too. As a 5'4" point guard, she likes being a sort of secondary coach on the court and getting everyone on the team involved.
“You have to make sure that you're putting people in the right positions to succeed,” Sanchez-Henry said. “Eventually, that ball will make its way back to you so you can get your own points.”
Last February, however, Sanchez-Henry had to choose between her two passions following an injury to her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Because of the long recovery time required for surgery, she would either have had to miss important spring classes — and delay graduation a year — to start the 2023-24 basketball season on time, or get the surgery the summer after she finished her junior year while sacrificing months of basketball.
Sanchez-Henry chose the latter. The time away from the sport allowed her to find herself and reevaluate her priorities, she said.
“I am not basketball,” Sanchez-Henry said. “That's just something that I do.”
She hopes to be back on the court at full strength for Senior Day on March 2 against Fairleigh Dickinson University. The tough journey has been a blessing in disguise, she said.
“If I can come back from this, I can do anything,” Sanchez-Henry said.
Visit WagnerAthletics.com for more information and the complete women’s basketball schedule.
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