Felician University announced its Senior Student-Athletes for 2020, the graduating female and male athletes who as selected by department administrators best represent the mission statement of Golden Falcon Athletics. The selection criteria looks at everything from academic performance and athletic contribution, to citizenship and leadership both inside and outside of athletics. According to Felician University Athletic Director Ben Dinallo Jr., this year’s Senior Student-Athletes are Dean Wright and Nicole Aumack.

Dean Wright

Dean Wright

Dean Wright is the third soccer player to be named Felician’s Senior Male Student Athlete of the Year, joining Kenny Monfort (2019) and Mariano Gonzalez (2007). Dean is a three-time Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference All-Academic selection, a past winner of the Diverse Issues in Higher Education Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma.

You could say soccer is in Dean Wright’s blood. He was born in Ireland where playing and watching soccer is immensely popular. In fact, Dean started playing soccer with his Dad when he was around three or four years old, and his big goal was to attend college in America to play soccer. Dean, an accountant major, says Felcian was a great fit for him. “I like that it’s a small school and you can get to know people including professors on a personal level and they got to know me.”

During his time at Felician he worked in the Center for Health on the Rutherford campus, and was a volunteer game official for the Lyndhurst Youth Soccer Club after his business Professor Anthony Scardino asked if he would assist. Dean who used to referee and coach soccer in Ireland considered it a chance to give back to the community that has given him opportunities. Dean said having a good coach “helped guide me in the right direction and I liked the idea of being able to do the same for someone else.”

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and immigration concerns Dean says he will stay in New Jersey where “all my friends are” and may pursue further education most likely at Felician, and eventually become a CPA. For Dean staying in New Jersey is no burden because he loves meeting people from all over the world through the mutual connection of Felician and soccer. “People always ask if I would ever leave Jersey to try somewhere else. I got to meet people from all walks of life here. I never thought I’d have, for instance, friends from Trinidad, and I never thought I’d meet people from Uzbekistan, and Peru”. Dean says it been a blessing to have been exposed to different cultures, food, music, and ways of thinking and for that he is grateful to both soccer and Felician University.

Nicole Aumack

Nicole Aumack

Nicole Aumack is Felician’s first bowler to receive the award and it came as a big surprise to the Brick Township resident. “When I’m competing, I’m really just trying to do my best to help my team, so this was kind of an added bonus.” Bowling is what brought Nicole to Felician because she learned about the University from a friend she bowled against in high school. Nicole fell in love with both the campus and Felician’s education program “One thing I loved about the program was that freshman year, they put you right into the field, and in the second semester of your freshman year, you get to go into a school. If you realize you don’t like the grade level you originally were going into, or you don’t like teaching at all, you find out early.”

Nicole excelled at Felician both “on the lanes” and academically which earned her a place as a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma College Athlete Honor Society. She was selected to the All-East Coast Conference First Team, making her Felician’s first two-time All-ECC honoree. Aumack was also voted the 2017 ECC Rookie of the Year, is a three-time member of the ECC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, and was Felician’s choice for the 2020 NJAIAW Woman of the Year program.

Nicole was a Resident Assistant in her sophomore, junior, and senior years, developing leadership skills which helped her both in bowling and in the classroom. “It’s actually an interesting role because it blurs the lines between being an employee on campus and also a student. You’re going to classes and you’re living with these people, so you’re responsible for holding them accountable to the rules and regulations that we have on campus. Maintaining that balance helping them not just follow the rules, but also helping them emotionally and academically where we can.”

In true Felician spirit while at the University Nicole donated time preparing meals for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, teaching bowling at the St. Joseph’s Hospital Binder Autism Center, and photographing Felician’s 2019 commencement ceremony. “When I came in as a freshman our coach made it’s very important for us to go to events on campus and volunteer. As athletes of Felician, they really encourage us to make a positive representation of ourselves on campus”

Nicole says she loves the small, comfortable feel of Felician University and she’ll have even more time to enjoy it because she’s decided to continue on at Felician to earn her master’s in Education.

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About Felician University

Felician University engages over 2,300 undergraduate, graduate, and adult students through programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, Nursing, and Education. Universal Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University’s education is ranked 3rd best return on investment for private colleges in New Jersey 2018 by the PayScale.com College ROI Report and is ranked #1 safest college campus in the state by niche.com.