Aspiring Teacher, Student Leader, Lacrosse Standout, Tess Brown ’26 Selected to Attend NCAA Program

Tess Brown aspires to teach and coach, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Faye, and father, Craig. 

In her time at Keene State, Tess Elizabeth Brown ’26 has forged lifelong friendships, set records on the playing field, and embraced ambitious academic and leadership goals with exceptional passion and drive.

And it is paying off wondrously.

In January, Tess, a Mathematics Secondary Education major, lacrosse team captain, student tutor, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president, will attend the weeklong NCAA Convention in National Harbor, Maryland.

The Londonderry, NH, native is among 40 college and university students nationwide chosen to participate in the prestigious Division III Student Immersion Program. Selected juniors and seniors make connections, learn, and explore leadership careers within Division III athletics.

“The supportive environment at Keene State has encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, take initiative, and pursue experiences I might not have had elsewhere. It has shaped who I am today and prepared me to continue making a meaningful impact in academics and athletics.”

Tess is humbled by and excited about her inclusion.

“I am proud that, in my various responsibilities, I’ve stayed true to myself and my values,” she says. “In every leadership role I’ve held, I’ve strived to make my voice heard and to advocate for those who need it.”

Her involvement with the SAAC, which is dedicated to ensuring that Keene State student-athletes make a positive impact beyond athletics, began as a student representative. Last year she was vice president, and this year she is president. Her schedule couldn’t be fuller, but Tess maintains a strong grade-point average, is student teaching full-time this semester, dominates on the lacrosse field, and works toward earning a teaching degree and a minor in statistics.

“The supportive environment at Keene State has encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, take initiative, and pursue experiences I might not have had elsewhere. It has shaped who I am today and prepared me to continue making a meaningful impact in academics and athletics.”

Tess is grateful to have been chosen for the program, the growth she knows she will experience in National Harbor, and for her coach, Travis Wyant, who nominated her.

Tess wants to teach and coach. She’s coached club lacrosse for the past six years. 

She’s takes her cues from her sister, Faye, and her father, Craig, who also teach and coach.

“I see how they’ve impacted students, and it inspires me. My teammates and boyfriend, Ty, have also been steady sources of support, encouraging me to stay focused and confident in my goals.”

Tess will enter her senior season on the lacrosse team with 131 career goals and 53 assists, coming off back-to-back 50-plus goal campaigns. A midfielder, she scored multiple goals in 15 of the Owls’ 18 starts last season, including a nine-goal outburst against Castleton State. Dominant on both sides of the field, Tess is a two-time First Team All-Little East Conference (LEC).

Her 60 forced turnovers last season led the LEC and rank fourth-best in the Keene State record book. She also topped the conference in ground balls with 66.

Wyant sees leadership as a step process, and says Tess hit all the right ones in her ascension.

“Within our team, I do my best to make our leaders, and in turn our athletes, stakeholders in the decision-making process. Tess fits that philosophy because she envisions how things should operate. She has watched the leaders in our program from previous years, learned from them, and worked alongside them to help create our brand of lacrosse.” 

Perhaps it’s Wyant’s focus on developing leaders, as the previous four SAAC presidents, including Tess, have been members of the women’s lacrosse team. Maggie Cahoon, Molly Edmark, and Ashley Enis are the others.

Student athletes in the SAAC participate in the Pumpkin Festival and the Salvation Army Toy Drive to give back to the greater community. Student Athlete Mental Health Week, Owls4Owls, and Division III Week are other creative initiatives of the Council.

“Owls4Owls is all about unity, support, and school spirit,” says Tess, calling it a meaningful way to strengthen bonds and show unity among the different Owl athletic teams. “We’re best when we support one another.”

Tess has put in the hard work, gotten involved in helping others, and sought leadership positions to demand more of herself. She’s left nothing to chance, and that constancy and determination were clearly not lost on the NCAA Immersion Program selection team.

That combination of unique leadership-like traits and natural people skills prompted Tess’s coach to nominate her. 

“What I really appreciate about Tess is the standard she sets,” Wyant says. “She loves lacrosse, but she also loves the process.”

He tells a light anecdote revealing Tess’s fun nature and persistence.

“Tess loves herself a behind-the-back pass or shot, and as a coach who loves a little flair, I do, too. However, you must practice it regularly for me to appreciate it. Tess practices the skill quite often, and when she finally hit one for an assist against Hartford last year, I remember how ecstatic she was to finally nail it. She threw down her stick, which she is not supposed to do (goal scorers put their stick down for stick checks — not the assister). It was one of those rare moments where joy overrides logic. That is the accumulation of many hours of practice and the art of sport colliding for an awesome moment.”

Asked what comes after Keene State, Tess says, “Ideally, I will end up in southern New Hampshire. I chose Keene State because I knew getting my degree in education here meant I would graduate certified to teach in New Hampshire.”

Learn more about Keene State's Education Preparation Programs.

Learn more about the Keene State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.