Nick Gallagher, Baseball

1) What has been the highlight of your athletic career so far?

The highlight of my athletic career so far was winning a share of the 2008 UAA championship at the UAA tournament last March.  Even though we weren't able to win an outright title, the two previous years we were in position to finish well in the tournament but we couldn't come through.  However, last year we were able to beat Emory in a 10-7 thriller on the last day of the tournament to clinch a share of the UAA title.  What makes this the highlight of my career and so special was that so many people were able to contribute during the tournament.  The senior class certainly led the way, but the team also received big contributions from the junior, sophomore and freshmen classes.  The fact that the title was a complete team effort made the entire experience so much more meaningful and memorable, and it is why I will never forget that title and the thrill of being able to enjoy it with my teammates afterwards.

2) What makes your team special?

I think the thing that makes the baseball team so special is the pride in being able to call yourself a Brandeis baseball player.  There are not many groups I can count myself a part of that mean more to me than that one, and I think my teammates would agree.  The thing that makes it so special to be able to call yourself a Brandeis baseball player is the fact that so many sacrifices are made for the good of the group.  Each and every member of the team gives so much time and effort throughout the entire school year without even knowing what the result will be in the spring.  To see thirty kids be able to come together and give their heart and soul to one program with a common goal is something that is rare, and makes me extremely proud to call myself a Brandeis baseball player.

3) How do your experiences on the field translate to the class room/world?

I think baseball players are in a unique position to be able to translate their athletic experiences to the class room and the real world.  Baseball is a game that is based on the balance between failure and success, much in the same way life is.  We can all point to times in life we have failed and succeeded, but it is how we respond to both the good and the bad that defines us.  Baseball sets you up to be able to deal with the good and the bad.  I have had more than my fair share of strike outs, errors and hitless games.  In baseball however, just as in real life, it is how you deal with these tough times that dictates how successful you are.  Therefore, I believe, as a baseball player, I am more equipped to be able to deal with set backs and tough times both in the class room and in real life because I have been through similar set backs on the field. 

4) What is your favorite class and why?

My favorite class is Organizational Behavior with Professor [Andrew] Molinsky.  It is a psychology class with a focus on people and the way they behave in relation to organizations, particularly businesses.  I enjoy this class so much for a few reasons, the first being that Professor Molinsky is so enthusiastic about the material he teaches it is hard not to get excited about the class.  Not only does Professor Molinsky's enthusiasm make the class so enjoyable, but it is also the fact that the material is so interesting in terms of having a real world application.  People skills are something that we all use today and will use for as long as we are alive.  This is what makes the class so enjoyable.

5) What is your favorite non-athletic activity at Brandeis and why?

I think my favorite non-athletic thing about Brandeis is how diverse of a community Brandeis is.  While it is not necessarily one specific event at Brandeis, I consider myself so fortunate to be able to spend four years at an institution where I have been exposed to so many people with such diverse backgrounds.  This exposure has broadened my horizons more than I ever could have imagined four years ago when I was applying to Brandeis.  I will take the diverse opinions and backgrounds that I have experienced and learned from here with me wherever I go in life, and I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people from all corners of the globe and see what has made them who they are.  I think it is so important to see how other people view the world and what is going on in it, and I think everyone at Brandeis benefits from experiencing the diversity that exists on campus.  The ability to experience people who are so different from me has been one of the many blessings Brandeis has bestowed upon me. 

6) What are your aspirations after Brandeis?

After Brandeis, I am hoping for a career in law enforcement, with an eye towards the FBI.  Throughout my life to this point, two things have always captivated me, crime and baseball.  I would love to be able to join the FBI at some point after graduation and to work as a special agent.  I also certainly have aspirations of being able to stay involved in baseball in some capacity as I transition from Brandeis to the next phase of life. 

7) What is something surprising we might not know about you?

I have many roots in Waltham.  My father graduated from Bentley.  My mom's side of the family has been from Waltham for many generations.  In fact, my great-grandfather was a security guard at Brandeis during the protests and student take-over of Ford Hall.