Ashley DeFreitas

Ashley DeFreitas

The best of both worlds
Basketball has been a part of her life since Ashley DeFreitas was 5 years old. But it took her family to help her see she could combine that love with a career.

“They were always telling me that I should be a teacher,” says Ashley, who earned a biology degree in 2010. “And I’d say, ‘No, no, I don’t want to teach. That’s not what I want to do.’ But I love basketball, and when I started coaching, I realized that coaching is like teaching on the court. I love being around kids, so I just figured, ‘You know what? They’re right. I do need to teach.”

Ashley, who grew up in Kennesaw, was recruited to play basketball by then-women’s coach Kelly Britsky.

“I had never heard of LaGrange College, but I came down to take a tour and fell in love with it. I didn’t even know where exactly I was – somewhere in west Georgia – but the campus was beautiful, and I loved the atmosphere.”

She wasn’t the only one impressed.

“My parents loved it, too. They’ve guided me my whole life and they said, ‘We think this would be a really good fit.’ And I agreed.”

When she began her college career, Ashley wasn’t sure what she wanted to study, but it didn’t take her long to find her niche.

“I’ve always enjoyed science, so one of the first classes I took here was general biology. I loved it, and knew that I had found my major.”

There was a little bit of a problem, though. Ashley will be the first to admit that math is one of her weaknesses.

“I know that is odd because I love science, and those two usually go together. But I struggled with math.”

That is, until she took a statistics class from Dr. Carol Yin.

“I absolutely loved taking math from Dr. Yin. It was an early morning class and most college students don’t like getting up, but I enjoyed getting up and going to her class.  It was applicable to what I was learning then, so it was a great course. She was wonderful, and made it so easy for me. She’s a great teacher.”

Ashley continued to play basketball throughout her undergraduate career, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in teaching at LaGrange. She also is serving as a graduate assistant for woman’s basketball.

“I’ve learned so many life lessons through basketball. And I’ve made new friends – two of my best friends that I will have for life were my teammates. It’s hard work to be a student-athlete, but it’s made me such a better person. Coach (Mark) Isenhour has made it an absolutely wonderful experience, and there are so many lessons I’ve learned from him. These are experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

Ashley says although her life is hectic, some advance planning has made it manageable. She is in the two-year program, so she will get two years of experience coaching and be able to take her time with her master’s classes.

“I planned ahead and took all my master’s classes my first year, so now all I have to do is worry about student teaching. Coach Isenhour is great about scheduling practices around my teaching schedules. In fact, all my professors are really great with working with my schedule. It does get stressful at times, but I couldn’t ask for a better support system.”

Ashley says her dream job is to teach high school biology and coach basketball.

“I would absolutely enjoy teaching biology for seven periods and then letting that stress go and getting on the court with the girls for two or three hours. To me, that would be getting my cake and eating it, too – the best of both worlds.”


Friends for the Journey

LaGrange College attracts the best and the brightest from all over the world. For example, our most recent incoming class consisted of men and women from 19 states and 10 countries, and included:

  • 76 members of Beta Club or the National Honor Society
  • 71 members of service organizations
  • 51 team captains in varsity sports
  • 25 leaders involved in student government, with 11 presidents
  • Three students involved in school publications, one as editor
  • Two Eagle Scouts
  • 20 musicians in band or orchestra
  • 18 singers in choir
  • 31 entertainers in performing arts
  • 85 students in religious activities.

But you don’t have to be a star in high school to succeed at LaGrange. Here, you’re given the opportunity to discover the best in yourself and find your destiny – all in a caring and supportive environment.