In basketball, the point guard is counted on to be a leader on the floor.

“I think it’s really important to have a connection with your teammates and have them respect you,” Mandy Brink, og Panama Central School, said.

Respect is something Brink has earned with her play throughout her career. As a senior, she averaged more than 23 points and six assists per game, earning first-team all-state honors while leading the Panama Panthers to a Section VI title and a trip to the New York State final four in March.

“It’s special especially it being my last year,” she said. “I know the outcome wasn’t what we wanted but I’m glad me and my teammates got to experience that because it really was special.”

But her basketball ride is far from finished. She’ll continue her career playing Division III college hoops at SUNY Brockport. 

“It’s always been my dream to play college basketball,” she said. “I’m very grateful and thankful that Brockport gave me that opportunity. I’m really excited to further my chapter and see where it takes me.” 

“She loves the game. She has a passion for the game. She works hard at it. She plays hard at it. As a coach you can’t ask for anything much more than that,” Dennis Hinsdale, coach, Panama Central School, added.

And Brink is well-rounded off the court as well. Academically, she ranks 3rd in her graduating class. She’s also a member of National Honor Society, class treasurer, co-president of the band, and is active in volunteer activities. She plans to one day become a health and physical education teacher.

“Once you work towards a goal and you think you’ve reached it, you have not. You have to keep going and keep grinding. I’m not perfect and I’m going to keep trying to get closer to perfect,” she said.

And that’s why Panama’s Mandy Brink is our latest Scholar Athlete.