Jan. 18, 2005

Boca Raton - Dear FAU supporters,

The odds were stacked against Shontavia Williams from the very beginning. Born in the one of the worst projects in the country, she could have very easily succumbed to the trouble so many around her already had.

Basketball helped her rise above the bad influences and quickly became her ticket out of the projects. The 5-foot-7 shooting guard started playing in elementary school and has become one of the leaders on the Owls women's basketball team.

Today, she has her sights set on the WNBA.

Head Basketball Coach Chancellor Dugan first saw Shontavia play during a summer league program. From then on, Dugan attended every one of Shontavia's games, determined to bring her to FAU.

"Coach Dugan was the most dedicated, honest coach trying to recruit me," Shontavia said.

Once she came to FAU, she quickly found out that college basketball is a whole different game than it was in high school. Mistakes she got away with in high school, she couldn't in college. She still managed to make the conference's all-freshman team that season and has continued to develop her game.

Shontavia called this year's team the hardest working group of people she's ever been around despite the early season struggles.

"We're off to a slow start this year, but we'll pull through."

You can help student-athletes such as Shontavia continue to succeed by shopping on our exclusive FAU E-MALL. There are over 1,000 stores to choose from and a generous percentage of each of your purchases is sent directly to us. You will likely spend the same amount of money or less, and you will be generating funding so our student-athletes can continue thrive. If the number of stores overwhelms you, simply pick a category or use the keyword search box at the top left of the screen. You can also browse through the 10 merchants featured on the right each week.

Every purchase makes a difference. Won't you please take a moment to purchase an item or two? May you have a pleasant shopping experience and thank you for your support. FAU Mall