Named to the SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in his freshman year, Jacksonville-born Cameron Churchill is a senior criminal justice major and athlete on the men’s baseball team.
When did you realize baseball was a passion of yours?
“I think I started playing when I was 11 or 12 only because all my friends were playing it and I wanted to hang out with them, but I wasn’t very good. But it was one of those things where you want to be good — and baseball has always been fun to me — and eventually, you work hard enough, you learn about certain things and then you grow every year. So yeah, [I was] around 11 or 12 when I started playing.”
How do you balance athletic life and academic life?
“It is difficult at times, but not impossible. I think it takes a lot of separation, a little bit of everything, so making sure that you are on top of your studies, on top of your sleep. Sleep is a big part of it. Going to the field every day and going to class all the time, just make sure you keep up with everything you need to keep up with.”
Do you have a memorable moment from being part of the baseball team over the past few years?
“I have a couple, but most of them were off the field. I think one of my favorite times being here at [NSU] was when we were at the national championship in Cary, N.C. We went to Dave & Buster’s and we are all of a sudden crowded around one of those claw machines. So, there’s like 30 guys around this little claw machine and we are all yelling at it to make sure it picks up something, and when we got [the prize] to come out, everybody was freaking out. We won this stuffed pig and a little stuffed dog. We carried them around, and it was one of my favorite moments; the whole team being there, having a good time. That’s a memory I’ll remember forever.”
What do you think is the key to success?
“I think just being accountable; getting things done. When you say you are going to do something you should try your best to complete it, and I think that you should set goals for yourself. If you want to have a 3.0 GPA, go [spend] a couple extra hours in the library every week; stuff like that. But yeah, being accountable and being determined and seeing that end goal that you want to achieve.”
What year do you think was the most difficult at NSU?
“I don’t know, I can’t say that I’ve had the most difficult year. I think all my years have being great here and I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for it. I think coming to [NSU] was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because I made outstanding relations with people and also because it makes me happy. I’m definitely proud to be a Shark.”
What is your favorite thing about NSU?
“I would say the people. I think the community at [NSU] is pretty awesome. You can just walk around campus saying hi to everybody and it’s not a very large student population so you get to know people personally. Even professors, you can talk to your professors all the time. That’s what I like the most about [NSU].”
How do you think you have grown from your freshman year?
“I think I just appreciate the [everyday] grind more. Going back to my freshman year, it was kind of intimidating coming to a new place not knowing a lot of people. [I’ve grown] as a person throughout these four years both on the field by being an athlete, and a student off the field.”
How do you think being a student athlete has helped you prepare for the future?
“Being a student athlete has definitely given me great perspective on who I want to be and who I want to become. It helps me out to work in teams [because I have to] be a good teammate and [deal with] competition.”
What are your plans after you graduate?
“After I graduate from [NSU], I want to join the Marine Corps and go into OCS [Officer Candidate School] so I’m applying now and [will] hopefully get in for October of this year.”
