HHS senior and level ten gymnast Mary Vines has transformed a childhood dream into a ticket towards an Ivy League education.
What began as a casual three-year-old birthday party at a gym quickly transformed into a career-defining moment. Her parents, noting her excitement, signed her up immediately.
“I started [gymnastics] when I was three,” Vines said. “It just kept getting more intense from there.”
Vines progressed through the competitive ranks since kindergarten, ultimately landing herself a spot on Brown University’s gymnastics team.
Her mother, honors English and French II teacher Melissa Dameron-Vines, sees the recruitment process as a collaborative effort between the duo. Dameron Vines describes her role as more of a support system to encourage and assist her daughter’s rigorous schedule.
“Mary learned time management early on,” Dameron-Vines said. “Gymnastics is a mental game and I’ve watched her overcome significant challenges.”
Her training regimen is demanding, with practices spanning Monday through Saturday, including four-hour weekday sessions and five-hour Saturday morning workouts.
Since this schedule leaves little room for studying, a 15 minute car ride can mean the world of difference for the student-athlete. Mary Vines uses these periods to her full potential, from brainstorming college essays to completing math homework.
Getting into an Ivy League school is no small feat, Vines goes through extensive training in order to be the best of the best.
“We go out there and work for four straight hours,” Vines explains. “You only get a small break to eat, literally just a bite of a granola bar before moving to the next event.”
Last competition season marked a significant milestone when Vines qualified for nationals in Salt Lake City, where gymnasts get the most attention. Multiple prestigious colleges expressed their interest in her career, such as Cornell and William and Mary.
“At nationals, colleges line the back wall,” Vines said. “That’s when they really start looking at you.”
After nationals, Brown invited Vines to a training camp where she was able to meet the coaches and team. With a multitude of options for a higher education, Brown continued to stick out to Vines.
“The coaches care about you and their coaching style is perfect,” Vines said about her future team. “And after seeing the campus and their open curriculum, it’s just all wonderful.”
Not only does Brown have the best programs in the country to offer, the staff also prioritizes their students’ happiness.
“I’m excited to have the ability to spread everything out,” Vines said. “At Brown I don’t have to do a full day of school plus practice.”
Despite being Ivy-bound, Vines still experiences reservations about leaving home while excitedly anticipating what the future holds.
“I am nervous just keeping up with college classes, especially an Ivy League, because there is a really high standard,” Vines said.
