Former QCC Basketball Player Going on International Tour

For Nate Noel, a former QCC basketball player with big dreams, July marks an exciting new chapter as he joins the PhD Hoops USA Senior Team for the 2023 Barbados Fast Break Tour. The team will travel to Barbados to compete against the country's top teams as well as participate in cultural activities.

PhD Hoops is an organization that offers skill training for basketball players and coaches as well as travel tours for student-athletes. Nate took the initiative to reach out to them and get advice from President. He was then given an interview and eventually a spot on the tour. He said he was very excited to join the tour and get to play basketball while also learning about a new culture. Sports bring people together.

Nate said that he went through some challenges in the past but has been doing the work to prepare for success. 

"It's because of Quinsig that I'm in the position I'm in now," said Nate.

Nate was born in Haiti and moved to the U.S. in 2007, living in the Boston area and going to high school in Clinton. When he graduated in 2017 he didn't know what his next step would be, but he had a passion for basketball, so when a friend suggested QCC as an affordable option that had a basketball team, he decided to enroll.

"When I first got on the court, I really felt the pressure but it made me a better player and a better person overall," he said.

"Nate was a huge help to me and was a consistent 'energy giver' at our practices and games," said QCC Men's Head Basketball Coach John Preziosa. "He was a great leader for our younger players to learn from as he always did things the right way, whether that be in the classroom or the basketball court. Nate always met and most of the time exceeded any expectations we had of him. I'm glad to have played a small role in his basketball journey."

Commuting, work and family life would sometimes get in the way so he had to take a couple of semesters off but he ultimately stuck with it and graduated in 2022 with an associate degree and certificate in business administration. Nate credited the support of QCC's faculty and staff for getting him through. 

"People like Michelle Tufau (Vice President of Strategic Enrollment & Student Engagement) were a big help in pushing me to finish my degree. I also met a lot of faculty that helped me get the mental shift I needed," he commented.

He also noted that the support of his teammates was invaluable and after going through so much together, they are still friends. Nate also continues to use QCC facilities such as the gym in the Athletic Center.

"It feels like family," said Nate.

After QCC, Nate went on to play basketball at Fisher College in Boston and Oakwood University in Alabama. He's not exactly sure what his next step will be but he wants to complete a bachelor's degree in business and sports management and play basketball at a professional level.

"Hopefully the PhD Hoops tour will open some doors for me," he said, adding, "I'm chasing my dreams."