Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 5 | May 2017

43 / 48

41
came following her series against Georgia Tech when she hit .667 and led
the Hokies to two wins.
“I had a whole different mindset coming into this year, knowing that
this year could be the last one that I play softball,” she said. “I really felt
like I had something to prove … I knew that I had it in me.”
“I’m very proud of her,” Thomas said. “A lot of people don’t know
her story. They just think she showed back up. It’s a pretty special story
because she accepted the fact that there were some failures there and
wanted to work hard and be the best she could—and she’s done it.”
Richardson’s path to stardom certainly has been non-traditional. Yet
this season more than validated her decision to return to Tech.
Her on-field exploits spoke for themselves. However, with another
year of eligibility remaining, she has decided to graduate this summer
with a degree in human development and a minor in sociology and then
pursue a career in the medical field. She plans on working this summer
as a nursing assistant and later may seek a master’s degree in health care
management.
“I have this thing about getting my master’s because no one in my
family has gone to college, so I think it would be cool to get a master’s,”
she said. “But I also think I’d like to get my RN [license as a registered
nurse]. I love the hands-on part.”
Those are details to be worked out. While in high school, Richardson
lacked a game plan for her future, but Virginia Tech has provided her
with a sense of purpose and clarity—in spite of her winding road.
“I’m at peace,” she said. “I’m fortunate to have gotten another chance.”
Great player, great student, college graduate, a life filled with real-
world work experiences … the versatility to do such things is the envy of all
coaches—even when the season doesn’t quite end according to plan.
I always wanted to come
back to Tech because
I loved the school. I’ve
always loved the school.
I took advantage of it
my freshman year, but I
knew that if I came back,
I would not feel right
if I didn’t play softball
because that’s what I
came here for. To come
and not play, that would
have been weird.
Richardson on
returning to Tech”