OUA'S WOMEN OF INFLUENCE: Brock's Jessica Del Signore

HAMILTON, Ont. - Ontario University Athletics (OUA) will recognize the top female scholar-athletes from across the province at a luncheon on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ont.

The event honours female student-athletes who have excelled in their chosen sports, fields of study and community involvement. This year's guest speaker will be dual-sport national athlete, Olympic gold medalist and OUA alumnus Heather Moyse.

Name: Jessica Del Signore
School: Brock University
Sport: Basketball
Year of study: 4
Program: Physical Education

Today’s honoured female athlete is Brock’s Jessica Del Signore. For the past four years, the Physical Education major has been a key part of Brock's success in women’s basketball. She graduates this year with an honours degree and plans to enter Teacher’s College in the fall.

In four seasons with the Badgers, she recorded 495 points, 204 rebounds, 133 steals, 125 assists, and made 99 three-pointers in 78 career games.

This season she was the recipient of the Jason Pearson Memorial Scholarship, which is presented to a Brock University student-athlete who exhibits the same warmth of personality, concern for others and positive attitude for life as the late Jason Pearson did.

Off the court and in the community, she has played an instrumental part in the Brock University Athletes Council. In first semester, Jessica took on the role of BUAC promotions manager, and furthered her responsibilites by taking on the role of President in the latter half of the year. BUAC organized campaigns and causes such as Athletic Scholarships (Dallas Beaton Award), Movember and Breast Cancer awareness.

Academically, Jessica has been both a four-time OUA All-Academic and four-time CIS Academic All-Canadian. She was presented the R.M. Davis Surgite Award at the 2012 Brock Athletic Awards ceremony, which goes to a student-athlete that excels in both sports and academics. Congratulations Jessica!

My proudest academic achievement was being a four-time OUA All-Academic and four-time CIS Academic All-Canadian.

My proudest athletic achievement was being named the 2011-2012 recipient of the David Atkinson Surgite Award, which is given to an athlete that best combines athletics and academics. 

My most memorable local community involvement was through Brock athletics IMPACT program. Here I was given the opportunity to work with at risk youth every other week throughout the year. Together we took part in activities geared towards developing teamwork, problem solving and self-management skills. My most memorable international community involvement was through the physical education department at Brock. This past summer my physical education peers and I traveled to San Salvador, El Salvador for two weeks to work with their national sports federation (INDES). We presented workshops to coaches and students on the benefits of creating programs based around physical literacy. 

My mother has and continues to be the most influential person in my life. She has supported me not only in my athletic career by not missing a single game but has also taught me the values of hard work and confidence which has made me who I am today. She has been and will continue to be my biggest fan and I am thankful that I have been blessed with such an amazing mom to walk through this journey with me.  

In September, I will continue my studies at Brock in Teacher’s College with the goal of obtaining a job as a secondary school teacher and teach physical education and biology. This summer I will work towards becoming certified as a strength and conditioning coach to share my love of fitness and sports by training athletes of all competitive levels.

Join OUA as Heather speaks about her career on and off the field, and inspires a unique group of accomplished young women to continue to pursue excellence in sport and in life. Tickets are $55 each or $400 for a table of eight. To purchase tickets please contact Samantha Magalas at samantha.magalas@oua.ca

OUA recognizes the following sponsors for their support of this event; belairdirect, Centaur Products, Pioneer Energy, Wilson Sports Equipment of Canada and Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS).