People react to articles in different ways. “Thank you” is a rare reaction, though. I was especially shocked to hear “thank you” from Tony Bennett.
In gathering insight for stories, I’ve spoken with hundreds of student-athletes, coaches, media, students, alumni, fans and more throughout my seven semesters with The Cavalier Daily. Back in October of 2025, a dear friend of mine, Jonah Werbel, suggested I compile a list of the “coolest people” I’ve met.
As I compiled the list, I reflected on the idea that many Cavaliers left me with more than article material — they also shared some valuable lessons. Here are some of my favorite characters from my 240-plus articles, and what I learned from them.
Tony Bennett — service is everything, and it comes in many forms
Coach Tony Bennett, the venerated leader of Virginia basketball from 2009-2024 and 2019 national champion, needs no introduction.
However, Bennett was not just a successful coach — players, fans, coaches and media regarded him as a great man who represented the Cavaliers honorably. His five pillars of humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness anchored Virginia to do things the right way. Win or lose, Bennett’s Cavaliers held their heads high and almost never engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct.
Bennett, among many things, is a philosopher of the game — and of powerful quotes, like the kind you put on a poster. Bennett reiterated one of those sayings frequently in the sunset of his time as Virginia’s head coach.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose,” Bennett said at his retirement press conference.
After Bennett’s retirement press conference, I spoke with him one-on-one for a few minutes. I thanked him for his service to the University. He responded by thanking me for my own service to the University.
I was surprised. I asked him how I could have possibly “served the University.”
Bennett said that telling the stories of the Cavaliers with high-quality writing was a form of service, a unique gateway for the fans to connect with the team. That was the final interaction I had with Bennett before his departure, and I have not since forgotten it.
Mel Josephson — be sure to laugh
Josephson, a goalkeeper on the women’s lacrosse team, is a fun character. She is part of a University improv comedy group called the “Whethermen” — and it is easy to tell why. Josephson was marvelously hilarious when I interviewed her back in May of 2024.
In our conversation, Josephson emphasized that lacrosse can be intense. It is called the fastest sport on two feet, after all. But through the calamity of lacrosse balls flying at her face at 70 miles per hour from point-blank range, Josephson is consistently calm. Perhaps her humor helps that — Josephson told me that improv is an essential artistic outlet to balance the stresses of being a goalkeeper.
Even though women’s lacrosse suffered postseason heartbreak after postseason heartbreak throughout the past few years, Josephson never let a loss drag her down. She carries an infectious energy that invigorates her team regardless of a game’s result.
Towards the end of the interview — a player feature ahead of the postseason — I asked her if she had any final comment. She replied, “see us May 26.” I asked her for clarification, and she reminded me that it was the date of the national championship game. That special kind of witty confidence still impresses me in reflection.
Our conversation reminded me that if we cannot find moments of joy irrespective of a specific outcome, then what’s the point of playing a game at all? No one wins every single time. Oftentimes folks forget that a sport is a game. After all, you “play lacrosse,” not “work lacrosse.”
Bryce Perkins — there’s no such thing as failure, you either win or learn from struggles
As I wrote back in May of 2025, junior quarterback Bryce Perkins did not have a good first day at the University at the start of 2018. He transferred from Arizona Western — a community college — to Charlottesville in the midst of a snowstorm. He had never seen ice or snow in his life. Amid uncertainty about joining a brand-new program for a chance that he knew would be his last, Perkins was forced to adapt quickly.
And adapt he did. He embraced Virginia with open arms, and, one year later, led the Cavaliers to a win over Virginia Tech and a New Year’s Six bowl appearance versus No. 9 Florida.
When I spoke with him last May, he explained to me that any opportunity is a chance for resilience and personal growth — especially when things aren’t going your way. After Perkins declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, he went undrafted and was buried on the Los Angeles Rams practice squad. Then, in 2024, Perkins ultimately found himself stuck in the lesser United Football League. His response? Winning UFL MVP.
Perkins said he especially focused on resiliency when he was left without an NFL job — even after he played a few games as a third-string quarterback in the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl run. Even though Perkins’ professional career hasn’t been what he’d hoped, he has managed to keep it alive through pure grit and an unbreakable love of the game.
I have thought about Perkins’ passion for the game throughout my writing career. Sometimes I look back on a story I wrote and think I could have or should have changed a few details. But regardless of how I feel a piece turned out in retrospect, I know that it ended up how it was supposed to. And regardless of where I thought I’d be by now, I love to look back and see how far my writing has come.
Connor Shellenberger — home will always be home
Connor Shellenberger is a Charlottesville kid. He grew up cheering on the Cavaliers, and went on to be a four-time All-American in lacrosse — wearing the Virginia uniform.
I crossed paths with Shellenberger a few times at media availability, and at the Final Four in 2024. That Final Four game, a brutal 12-6 loss to rival Maryland, was Shellenberger’s final collegiate game as a player. It was a heartbreaking ending to an immensely fruitful chapter of Virginia men’s lacrosse.
As the final whistle blew, some players threw their helmets to the ground. Others cried. Some just stood still. Shellenberger hugged his teammates, then he faced the media with composure and poise. Always a class act, Shellenberger leads by example — a fitting trait for a hometown hero.
Postgame, Shellenberger said that his time as a Cavalier “means everything.” As it turns out, that time got extended — Shellenberger is now an assistant coach for the Cavaliers this season, still serving the team he has loved throughout his entire life.
I think that dedication to home is incredibly admirable. As I move on to a new chapter, I hope to carry that love of the University with me for the rest of my life, just like Shellenberger has.
Laughlin Ryan — don’t forget to smile
Ryan tore her ACL three times. That sucks.
She was a midfielder on the women’s soccer team from 2020-2025, and spent most of those years sidelined by injury. Ryan played in less than half of the total games during her time as a Cavalier. I wrote a feature on her before the 2024 season and was honestly surprised at how positive she was, considering her situation.
Fortunately for the Cavaliers, Laughlin Ryan is a trooper. When I occasionally stepped in to cover for the women’s soccer beat, I always saw No. 5 with a smile on her face.
“I don’t think there’s a more inspirational player on our team,” Coach Steve Swanson said during the 2023 season. “It’s an amazing story of the human spirit, that’s for sure.”
From our interview back in August of 2024, Ryan made her team-oriented mindset clear from the get-go — an interview intended to be about herself was actually going to be an interview about the whole team. For every question I asked her about herself, she would give an answer that revolved around her teammates. Her selflessness and joy were so powerful to the point where the article had to shift into a more comprehensive type of feature, one about Virginia women’s soccer as much as her own recovery.
During a short interaction with her parents, I could easily see why Ryan was so deeply rooted in gratitude and unity. At a game, they thanked me for writing about their daughter — it was the first time I’d heard that. Their appreciation was a valuable reminder that as journalists, we are writing real stories about real people. This service must be done with the utmost care.
But while The Cavalier Daily is certainly a service to others, it has also given me so much throughout my time here. So, I hope you are an avid CD sports reader or become one. You’ll learn so much from these stellar CD writers. The University sports community is one where you will find an abundance of lifelong lessons and memories.
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