"Nothing that happens to you was meant to be. The only thing about you that was meant to be is you. Blaze your own trail." -- Writer George Alexiou 

As she made her way to the stage not once, nor twice, but four times during the University of Sioux Falls Spirit of Excellence ceremony, it was evident Moira Duffy had made a profound impact at the University of Sioux Falls.

Duffy of Rapid City, S.D., who graduated from USF on May 20, was honored for her service, commitment to her faith, campus causes and activities, plus her excellence in the classroom and as a member of the USF Women's Basketball Team at the spring ceremony.
 

Perhaps the most notable recognition was Duffy being named the USF's Representative Woman, the highest honor awarded provided to a USF student at the awards ceremony. The award exemplifies the ideal USF student—an individual committed to the University and the purposes for which it was founded.

"I was so humbled by those honors. I didn't expect any of this," said Duffy, the daughter of Dan and Karrie Duffy, a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree in women's basketball, who has made the USF Dean's List every semester at the school.

While her impact at USF is distinguishable, she knows her time on campus has molded her for a promising future.
 
"I could not speak more highly of the people at USF, and that will most definitely be the toughest part of leaving! The professors, coaches, teammates, and classmates that I have gotten to know over these last four years are the reason my experience at USF has been as great as it has," said Duffy, who was also named the 2018 Outstanding Traditional Nursing Student at USF. "Throughout my time here I was surrounded constantly by people who were pushing me to become the best version of myself in every arena—academic, athletic, and in my faith—and that is something I am so thankful for."
 
Next Stop: Bulgaria

As she moves on in life, Duffy plans a future in nursing but first will travel to Sofia, Bulgaria to teach English after receiving a Fulbright Scholarship. While teaching English for an academic year may not on the face relate to her chosen profession of nursing, Duffy sees it as an experience of a lifetime.

"I don't have any commitments right now and this is something that will be exciting and an adventure," she said. "My time in the nursing program, the honors program and throughout my liberal arts education has prepared me to consider different perspectives, think critically, and examine things more thoroughly. I believe these skills will provide the basis to embrace a new culture and keep an open mind as I experience things in another country," said Duffy, whose older brother Brendan was also a Fulbright recipient, traveling to South Korea several years ago.

According to Duffy, she will be teaching eighth through 12^th grade students conversational English.
 
"In a sense, I will help them better understand America," said Duffy, who was inspired to consider a Fulbright opportunity by Brendan, a Northwestern (Ill.) Law School graduate, as well as through the encouragement of USF Professor Dr. James Foster. "I love the mission of the Fulbright Program in that it seeks to promote the mutual understanding between nations by immersing students into other cultures," she said.
 
"I'm so excited about the chance to engage with people from another culture and to learn from them every day," said Duffy, who will also soak in the rich history of Eastern Europe. 
 
Sense of helping others, passed down by mother
 
Like her mother, Duffy has a strong sense of helping others and plans a future in nursing after her return from Bulgaria.
 
"I know that experience in Bulgaria will benefit me greatly. And, perhaps in a way, will help me as I eye a future in nursing. It is a profession that I love because you are able to be with people at their most vulnerable—their highest highs and their lowest lows," said Duffy. "I like that you, as the nurse, have the opportunity to impact, and hopefully improve, some of the most significant moments in people's lives. It's an incredible privilege and why I am so excited to be part of this profession," she said.
 
Her inclination toward becoming a care-giver revolves around a value structure of faith and family instilled in her by her parents, who are both graduates of Dakota Wesleyan.

 

 

"I think I could talk for hours about how great I think my parents are, but I think the biggest things my parents did was witness in their faith to my siblings and I," said Duffy, who has seven brothers and sisters. "They always emphasized -- not only through their words, but more so their actions and how they lived -- that our faith is the top priority. Their work ethic, and character, and passion for life were (and are) so evident in how they live every day, that I really think they've just lead our family through their example--and how well they love one another and all of us so unconditionally."
 
Landing at USF
Duffy landed at USF four years ago after prepping at St. Thomas More High School in Rapid City, where she led the Cavaliers to two state girls basketball titles while earning second team all-state honors as a senior. A finalist for the Miss Basketball Award, the STM team captain was the Rapid City Athlete of the Year. A three-time all-league performer, she was presented the Spirit of Su Award in 2013-14 at the state girls basketball tournament for her selfless demeanor and excellence on and off the court.
 
While digging into studies at USF, she immediately connected with her teammates on USF's Women's Basketball Team and contributed to the program's success, noted head coach Travis Traphagen.
 
"We are so proud of Moira. She is the epitome of a student-athlete," said Traphagen. "A great teammate, she helped us in so many ways on and off the court. She was a big part of a lot of success here."
 
Duffy, who received the prestigious Butch Raymond Scholarship as a junior, helped lead the Cougars to an 84-37 record from 2014-18, including records of 17-10, 27-6, 22-8 and 16-13. As a sophomore in 2015-16, she was on the USF squad that captured the program's first-ever NSIC Tournament Championship, defeating Augustana, 75-58, for the title. That season, she was part of the team that played in the program's first-ever NCAA DII Tournament in Pittsburg, Kan. As a junior, she helped the Cougars advance to the NSIC Tournament finals and to the league semifinals as a senior.
 
"I made incredible friends on the team, experiencing remarkable moments, whether at practice, in the locker room and in games," said Duffy, who finished her career second at USF in career blocks (106) with her total of 81 in 2017-18, the most for a single season in school history.

"Basketball is a lot more than putting a ball in a ring. You develop this stick-to-it-ness in which you work through some struggles and also enjoy some special moments. For me that was the conference title, going to nationals, and being part of so many special times. I will remember all my friends and be thankful for the amazing time we had," added Duffy, who finished with 185 career points, 272 rebounds, and 42 steals."

One of those friends, senior to be Jacey Huinker, has been her roommate and close friend.  "She has helped me is so many ways with faith, and her relentless energy," said Duffy. "She is an example of the type of women we have on this team. And, the relationships with them is one of my most significant experiences here."

Family Affair
Beyond the special connections with teammates and classmates, Duffy will cherish her family support throughout her collegiate career at USF.   
 
At nearly every game, her parents and several siblings, were located in the east bleachers of the Stewart Center. It was noticeable how they would bring a contingent in support, carrying with them face cutouts of Moira and a lot of love.
 
What made the experience especially unique that two of her sisters, Caitlin, who is seeking a master's degree in public administration, and Ciara, a history major, starred for the University of South Dakota Women's Basketball Team and were in attendance when possible at USF games.
 
"It worked out to have them so close," said Duffy. "They could come up and watch me play and I had the opportunity to go to USD to see them play. It made for quite a family affair with my parents rotating between Vermillion and Sioux Falls," she said.

 

Aside from Brendan, Caitlin, and Ciara, and her parents, she has been supported by brother Liam, a fourth-year medical school student at USF; sister Aislinn, who will attending Augustana next fall while younger sister Mairin is a freshman at St. Thomas More and brother Declan, a sixth grader in Rapid City. In addition, games would include other members of the Duffy clan.
 
Embracing "Culture of Service"
Aside from excelling in the classroom and on the basketball floor, Duffy developed a passion for service work, fostering her care-giving persona. Among the service work was volunteering at the Bishop Dudley House, at the Sioux Falls Marathon and at Dress for Success while also reading at local schools.

"Through basketball, as well as through the nursing program, I had the opportunity to engage in a variety of service projects and programs during my time here at USF. These experiences were so impactful in that they emphasized, to me, the importance of really taking the time to get outside myself and engage with other people and their needs. USF's Culture for Service is one I hope to carry with me throughout the rest of my life, and I'm really thankful that USF helped me to further develop that passion for service," she said.

Duffy, who has served as vice president of the Student Nurses Association, has seemingly always on been on the go. With the challenges of athletics, studies and service, she developed time management skills. 
 
"I am not a perfectionist," she said. "So, I had to learn from the start, I had to give myself some grace and not be perfect as I wanted to be and worked hard. Accepting the fact I wouldn't get a lot of sleep. You learn to find bits and pieces of time."

Along the way, Duffy understood that life provides a little of the bittersweet, which means saying "so long" to dear friends, like teammates, among others. But the future promises adventure, which she will undertake shortly with a lot of spirit in her heart.

"I'm hoping it will be more of a 'see you later,' rather than a 'goodbye.' I have met some of my best friends here at USF, not only my basketball teammates, but my nursing classmates, roommates, faculty members and so many more. The type of people I have met have helped me grow spiritually and holistically," she said. "USF has taught me to think and ask good questions. Through this experience, I have this desire to learn more. And, that is invaluable."