Graduation day is really a big deal on college campuses around the United States and Canada.
To the Class of 2010, leaders of the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association want to extend their heartiest congratulations for a job well done. That goes to the students certainly, but also to their parents and their sacrifices to make it happen.
Internet personality, David “the big slam” Llona is making his exit this year after three successful years at the University of Central Florida. Llona was the highest ranked College Table Tennis player in Florida and was able to start his own Facebook page and had a myriad of “fans” follow his every move. At the 2010 College Championships, he was even asked for his autograph!
Llona graduates with a business degree and may soon begin working as a professional in the accounting world in Tampa. Llona has some valued advice for the up and coming college table tennis athlete, “Do not get discouraged if you lose a lot of matches at first because you will get better with practice.” Llona went on to say that in his early days he lost to both a 10 year old girl and a 75 year old man. In other words, just check the ego at the door and have fun! NCTTA wishes Llona the best as he represents one of the most passionate personalities in college table tennis.
We also commend student-athletes like Richard Qian, who graduates in May with a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from the University of Wisconsin. In short, he’s one of our best and brightest. He’s also getting his degree with certificates in computer science and leadership.
And believe it or not, Richard somehow managed to find time to develop the Wisconsin table tennis team from the beginning a few years ago, become a top-notch player and made it a habit to hit the books. After graduation, Qian will go to work at Morgan Stanley in New York. While job searches are difficult for new grads during these tough economic times, he’s landed on his feet with a prestigious firm in the Big Apple.
“I really enjoyed working with the NCTTA this year,” said Qian reflecting back on his college table tennis experience. "I met many people who are passionate about table tennis and without whom the sport will not be where it is today.”
Qian served as a member of the NCTTA’s media relations committee. He did the research on such topics as the Killerspin Holiday Open tournament in Chicago in December and volunteer efforts for the 2010 Championships. For the NCTTA’s monthly newsletter, he contributed a story about the rapid success of the Wisconsin Badgers Table Tennis Team.
During his tenure with the NCTTA, “I had the chance to speak to championship-caliber level players and see their view of the sport. I will stay involved with table tennis in one form or another.” He expects his job at Morgan Stanley will be his focus and take up a great deal of his time in New York.
Our fabulous table tennis players are really some of the finest student-athletes on the planet. They’re usually smart when it comes to playing games in national and regional tournaments, and typically excel in the classroom. There are more than 18 million students pursuing higher education just in America alone.
One of the other stellar players we want to spotlight is Maria Montano, a senior at Mississippi College. The MC table tennis team member is on track to graduate in August with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry.
“Biochemistry is one of the most difficult majors at Mississippi College,” says MC team captain Ken Qiu. “Maria is a very good student and a good player. She has a grade point average of over 3.5.”
A native of Venezuela, Maria Montano provided a little diversity on a team that was primarily dominated by strong players from China. Maria got the opportunity to play in NCTTA Championships held in Columbus, Ohio in 2007, while still a student at the University of Southern Mississippi. After transferring to Mississippi College, she helped the MC women to a 4th place finish at the 2009 Championships in Rochester, Minnesota.
Maria played the game with much passion teaching the Chinese players to cheer in Spanish during matches. MC cheers were often a mixture of Spanish, Chinese and English the past three years, home or away. Montano also managed to find time as a student worker in the MC athletic department.
Also nearing the finish line towards graduation at Mississippi College later in the year is Jie “Jessica” Zhou. A native of China, she is earning a master’s degree in communication. Jessica was another key part of the MC team at the 2008 and 2009 nationals in Minnesota.
We thank members of the Class of 2010 for your service. We hope you stay active in table tennis world, and welcome your participation as NCTTA alumni!