UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Ontario native, Courtney Correia, is a fifth-year transfer from Boston University on the Penn State women's ice hockey team.
Correia got into hockey thanks to her older brother, Nick. At a young age, she would watch him on the ice.
"He used to have a lot of practices, games and events for hockey," Correia said. "My mom would always bring me along to everything."
One time when her mom brought her to the rink, there was a group of boys training. She was watching them practice when their coach came over to her and her mom.
The coach asked Correia's mom if she knew how to play hockey and her mom told him that she knew how to skate.
"He told my mom to bring me the next day and when I did, I went out on the ice with a bunch of boys that were three or four years older than me," Correia said.
However, it isn't just the sport of ice hockey that has a special place in Correia's heart. Academics in addition to the community around her are just as important.
During the recruiting process out of high school, Correia wanted to choose a school that was in a preferred geographic location, had great academics and, of course, checked the box on the hockey side of things.
Correia was extremely involved in the athletic community in Boston. She was an integral part of their student athlete advisory committee, Bloom Family Leadership Academy and in her last year she was the team impact fellow for all of Boston University.
"We were able to connect kids who have chronic illnesses with different sports teams in Boston. It was really cool to be able to give back in that way," Correia said.
After four years of work and involvement at Boston University, Correia had a decision to make.
She still had a roster spot at Boston University for her fifth year if she wanted to take it. However, she decided to look elsewhere and ultimately decided to come to Penn State.
Correia thought along the same lines as she did during the recruiting process out of high school, when deciding where to go for her fifth year.
"The main thing was the academic program," Correia said. "The attractive part about Penn State was the program that I am in right now, a finance program that is STEM designated."
Since Correia is an international student, this program would allow her to receive three years of optional practical training (OPT). This would give her three years working in the United States without needing sponsorship.
She lived in the city of Boston for all her college years and never got the full "college campus" experience. Penn State has been able to provide a change of scenery and a different way of life for Correia.
"I was able to go to my first football game because we didn't have that at Boston," Correia said.
When talking with the coaches at Penn State, there was a familiar face that helped to solidify her decision about transferring.
"One of the coaches that recruited me to play at Boston University was Allison Coomey. I never got to play for, but she is at Penn State now," Correia said.
Correia is someone that loves being pushed. She knew Coomey's values along with the coaching staff aligned with her own. They emphasized how competitive the program was going to be this year, which was a huge draw for Correia.
"Having the opportunity to finally work with her here at Penn State has been great," Coomey said. "In addition to being a difference maker on the ice, she has been able to bring a valuable perspective and appreciation to our team."
In addition, team culture was important. For Correia, team culture is something that can make or break a program.
"Every single person that I talked to here at Penn State has this winning mindset," Correia said. "It is unlike anything I have ever seen before."
Correia wanted a team that was all in, that would buy into the process and believe that they could accomplish anything. So far, Penn State has exceeded her expectations.
She described how everyone knows Penn State, everyone knows that they want to win.
Her favorite part about being here is how much everyone loves Penn State. Everyone around campus is almost always wearing a PSU sweater, t-shirt, backpack and more.
"That is the culture of Penn State," Correia said. "I am so grateful to be a part of that kind of culture, that kind of school and have me being affiliated with that name."
With her time at Penn State, she wants to leave behind a legacy of positivity and openness.
Correia wants to shine a light on how important communication is to younger generations, on and off the ice. Team culture is everything to her.
"My motto is to always leave the jersey in a better place than you found it," Correia said.