USA U20s Laura LaVigne

My name is Laura LaVigne, and I am currently a sophomore at Penn State working towards dual degrees in criminology and psychology. This is my fifth year playing rugby, starting as a sophomore at Orchard Park High school, and I am a tighthead prop. The weekend of February 14-17, my teammates Camile White, Natalie Bjorklund, and I attended the USA Rugby U20 All-American camp in Marietta, Georgia at Life University. Being a part of Penn State has taught me to push myself past my limits and further than I ever thought I could. It has taught me to work hard for my goals. Playing elite level rugby is one of those goals. I cannot express how honored and grateful I was to receive an invitation to attend the USA U20 All-American camp. My invitation to this camp was only possible because of the things I have taken from this program and applied to my life and game and I would never have been able to say yes to attending if it weren't for the support of this program and its alumni. For that, I am extremely thankful.

We had six 90-minute sessions, including one scrimmage at the very end of the weekend. It was an incredible opportunity to be coached by the USA U20s staff and play with other highly-skilled athletes from all over the country.  I hope to take what I learned in Georgia back to Penn State and continue growing - both as a person and player. With the continued support of the alumni and program, I also hope to continue representing Penn State at the elite level.  Again, I can not express how grateful I am to be a part of a community that encourages and supports me in the pursuit of my dreams.