(Editor's Note:  This is part of a series of stories of the RUDY Award finalists.  Two winners – one male and one female – will be announced at the conclusion of the end of the R.UD.Y.S. Awards Banquet on Monday.  

R.U.D.Y.S. stands for Recognition and celebration of University of Dayton student-athletes Year-end Showcase.  It is hosted by the UD Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Dayton Athletics administration for the student-athletes to recognize individuals and teams for their accomplishments this past year.
 
These stories were written by students in Dr. Haozho Pu's HS 353 Sports Media class.)

Written by Nick Radosevich, Ben Saunders, Sean Vitales

Redshirt senior guard Destiny Bohanon has been an impactful Flyer on and off the basketball court. The Huber Heights native and Wayne High School graduate has a Bachelor's degree in occupational and behavioral studies and is currently working towards her MBA.

Her play on the court has been productive at all levels, earning her many achievements throughout her career. In high school, Bohanon was a two-time conference champion while averaging 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game. She was named GWOC National East Player of the Year, selected to the Kentucky/Ohio All-Star team, earned First Team All-GWOC honors and First Team All-Ohio.

At Dayton, Bohanon is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a team leader. She started in 49 out of 89 games played, starting in 29 of 30 games this season. She set career highs in games played, minutes, field goals, threes made, free throw percentage, rebounds, and steals in her fifth year with the program. She was second on the team with 9.9 points per game and scored a career-high 298 points for the season.

Bohannon's favorite hobby is of course basketball, as she always enjoys playing the sport she loves. She also enjoys listening to music, hanging out with friends and spending quality time with her three siblings.

Q: What does being a Flyer mean to you?
A: What a Flyer means to me is an individual who is dedicated to learn, express, and innovate one's attributes in pursuit of making a difference in the community and one's everyday life.

Q: What is one of the most influential moments in your athletic career?
A: The most influential moment in my athletic career was honestly the journey of my whole career. I came into college with a meniscus tear, rehabbing in hopes of recovering before the season started. I was cleared to begin contact and full-go in September. In October of the same year, I tore my ACL putting me out for another six months, therefore redshirting my freshman year. The following years were difficult. My sophomore year I did not play, my junior year was COVID, and my senior year was a whole new coaching staff. Therefore, lots of change and adversity throughout my college career but my determination, confidence and belief helped propel me to be successful in my last two seasons here at UD.

Q: Balancing sports and academics can be challenging. How do you organize your time effectively to ensure success in both areas?
A: How I organized my time effectively while being a student-athlete is by the use of planning. Weekly planning and daily planning were my best friends. Being intentional with completing homework, studies and assignments on the day of or day planned previously in the week. Using Google Calendar to set reminders for upcoming assignments, homework and exams were useful as well.  This allowed me to be effective and experience less stress throughout the semester. Being organized in the academic realm allows for athletics to come easy as academics were a light stressor. Completing work before athletic departures was helpful to alleviate stress to get assignments completed and solely focus on athletics.

Q: How has being a student-athlete contributed to your personal growth and development?
A: Being a student-athlete has contributed to my personal growth and development in a variety of ways. My biggest growth during my athletic and academic career is the use and the importance of my voice. Over the years, the use of my voice has earned me many opportunities and respect. Being a student-athlete allowed me to experience highs and lows and small turn-around times which has helped with growth, innovation, and time-management.

Q: What are your future goals and aspirations after graduating from UD?
A: My future goals and aspirations after graduating from UD are playing professionally overseas, followed by returning and pursuing a career that involves creating an impact on individual's lives, whether that is training young athletes and/or pursuing a rehabilitation facility position. 

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Casey Bogues -- Track & Field