Guyanese tennis prodigy Nicola Ramdyhan has, for the first time ever on Tuesday, witnessed her face and name plastered across the skyline of Atlanta, Georgia.
Guyanese Nicola Ramdyhan pointing upwards to her name being splashed across the Atlanta skyline
The Clark Atlanta University tennis player is one of five CAU students who are being honoured by Georgia’s Own Credit Union for Black History Month. Each day this week, the students will have their picture and name featured on the company’s 174-foot digital sign on top of the iconic former Equitable Building in downtown Atlanta.
Two of those students will be awarded a US$1,000 grant towards their area of study.
“I’m really excited! I’ve never seen myself on a building like this. It’s really a big deal,” Ramdyhan said about the monumental achievement.
Probed about her immediate goals, the 23-year-old Guyanese shared that she is focused on racking up more championships.
“My main goal is just to top the achievements I’ve earned during the previous seasons I’ve played. If it means securing another championship or getting further into the regional tournament afterwards, I’m definitely going for that,” she stated.
The former St. Joseph’s High and the Bishops’ High School student returned to Guyana last year following the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. She explained the impact that it has had on her game. She revealed, “This season is definitely different from the past ones, but I’m definitely grateful that we have one this year.
“One of the differences (is that) there’s a significant reduction of matches, but I’m still hopeful that my teammates and I put forward our best effort into each match that we have, and secure a championship again this year.”
Ramdyhan, who has always been able to balance sport and academics, elaborated on her experience as a student athlete. “To me, being a student athlete means being committed to a sport you enjoy, while also excelling academic-wise and just trying to be a role model to others, whether it’s your teammates, your classmates; helping to represent your school in a way that you know how,” she shared.
According to the Clarke Atlanta University Panthers’ website, Ramdyhan has been on the CAU Dean’s List, and has been a CAU scholar athlete every semester since she stepped on campus. A member of the Phi Kappa Phi honour fraternity, Ramdyhan is also a member of the CAU Isabella T. Jenkins Honors and Scholars Program, and has been an All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All Academic pick every year.
She was one of eight members of the CAU tennis team who last summer were named to the 2020 Division II Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s All-Academic Team, and were named ITA Scholar Athletes.
On the court, she was the SIAC’s Freshman of the Year in 2018, after going 14-4 in singles competition, and was a key member of the Lady Panthers’ 2019 SIAC championship squad.
Ramdyhan also finds time to volunteer to teach the basics of tennis to youngsters in Southwest Atlanta’s Healing Community Center, and to serve as a VITA volunteer tax preparer in Atlanta’s West End community.
