In 2022, Bay College student Camryn Bonner graduated from Park Center Senior High School in Brooklyn Park, MN. Not long after, she began her college education—and started playing college basketball, continuing her lifelong passion for the sport.
“I’ve been playing basketball since I was in second grade—after my dance classes, my dad had me dribble the ball. Then he signed me up for basketball one year, and I’ve been playing ever since,” she said.
However, Camryn did not start her college education at Bay, and she soon found that her first college was a poor fit.
“I just didn’t like their basketball program at all, and I wanted to find somewhere else to play,” she said.
At the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester, Camryn transferred to Bay to pursue that goal. She said her experience as a Bay student has been a significant improvement over her first year of college.
“I really like it here. I get a lot of help from my teachers and the staff here—they’re very friendly,” she said.
During the 2023 - 2024 season, Camryn was a member of the Bay College Norse women’s basketball team, previously coached by Todd Ciochetto. While the team’s season got off to a slow start, things eventually turned around to the point where the Norse was the co-conference champion.
“At first, it wasn’t that good—but as our team started gelling and practicing more, it got way better,” she said.
According to Camryn, Todd’s coaching has played a significant role in the team’s success.
“Coach Todd really pushes us to be the best we can be,” she said.
She also noted that he pays attention to the well-being of his team members.
“He really looks out for everybody on the team, and we all look out for each other,” Camryn said.
Along with her experience on Bay’s women’s basketball team (now currently coached by James Fasset), Camryn recently started playing another sport for the Bay College Norse—softball.
“They really just needed more softball players, and Coach Todd asked if I wanted to help out,” she said.
Though she has not had much experience playing softball in the past, Camryn has enjoyed her time as a softball player so far.
“I feel like I’m learning a lot about softball,” she said, adding that the team has been “very welcoming” to her. The Women's Softball team is currently coached by John Garris.
Meanwhile, Camryn has been busy pursuing a liberal arts degree at Bay. She said a biology course she took recently has been one of her favorite classes.
“I just really liked how my teacher taught it—I felt like I could really understand everything,” she said.
In addition to her studies and athletics, Camryn has found a job at Bay. During the Winter 2024 Semester, she was a student worker at the college’s Student Accounts Office.
“I think it’s been going good. So far, I’ve learned how to take payments, sell tickets, and deposit checks,” she said.
During the 2024-2025 Academic Year, Camryn plans to complete her studies at Bay.
“I’m going to come back and finish my associate degree in liberal arts. I’ll also be an assistant women’s basketball coach and play softball here next year,” she said.
Camryn then aims to transfer to another college—ideally Florida A&M University, which she described as her “dream school.” She is also actively weighing potential career pathways.
“I’ve been going between being a coach, starting my own business, or becoming a defense lawyer. I’m still undecided, career-wise,” she said.
But first, Camryn said she is looking forward to another year as a Bay student.
“I’ve liked meeting the people that I’ve met here so far, and I’m looking forward to who I meet next year,” she said.