For senior Shaunice Fulmore, being a part of FMU’s women’s basketball team has been an experience she will cherish forever.

Fulmore, a native of Lake City, South Carolina, began playing basketball early on in her life.

“I was maybe seven when I started playing,” Fulmore said. “But when I started playing team basketball, I was in seventh grade.”

Fulmore received numerous accolades while she attended Lake City High School, where she was selected as a player for the N.C./S.C. All-Star Game. She was a three-time All-Star selection and was a five-year varsity letter winner. Fulmore is Lake City High School’s all-time leading scorer with 2,065 points, averaging 25.7 points per game during her senior year.

After graduating, Fulmore said she chose to attend FMU because it was the first school to offer her an athletic scholarship.

“They were my first offer and they started looking at me during November of my senior year in high school, so I didn’t want to give up that opportunity,” Fulmore said. “It’s close to home and convenient for my mom to get to me, so I decided I’d just go ahead and take it and I like it here. I love being on campus. I love the atmosphere of the team. That’s why I really came here.”

Fulmore, FMU’s starting guard, said even though she is listed as a forward on FMU’s athletic website, she prefers the guard position.

“When I was in high school, I started off playing as a post-player and then they started moving me up to the wing and that’s where I’m comfortable at,” Fulmore said.

Fulmore said even though she struggled early on in college to balance everything in her life, she has adapted to her schedule.

“The biggest challenge I have is time management with school and basketball,” Fulmore said. “In my first year, it was a little bit of a struggle because of the transition of how the classes are every other day instead of back-to-back compared to high school.”

Fulmore said her favorite part about being a part of FMU’s women’s basketball team is being able to travel and explore new places.

Fulmore described her time at FMU as a fast but enjoyable experience.

“I remember when I was a freshman, and now that I’m a senior, I’m just like ‘Don’t waste any time, don’t give up an opportunity you have here,’” Fulmore said. “If I could go back, I would try to be more involved in anything dealing with school.”

Fulmore’s advice for incoming students is to get involved and to get out of their comfort zones.

“There’s a lot of opportunities that will benefit you in the future so just go out there and take a chance,” Fulmore said.

Fulmore said she does not feel any apprehension about graduation.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Fulmore said. “It’s an accomplishment; it’s a blessing as well. I just want to thank God for getting me through every obstacle that I’ve faced as far as academics and basketball as well. It was a struggle, but I made it.”

During Fulmore’s time at FMU, she has earned numerous awards. Fulmore has been named to the Peach Belt Conference’s first-team All-Conference and Peach Belt Conference’s Player of the Week. Fulmore also made the top 20 in scoring in FMU’s women’s basketball team history.

Fulmore, a psychology major with a minor in biology, plans to attend graduate school after graduation to pursue a degree in clinical psychology.