Woman receives the ultimate present in white elephant exchange
‘Tis the season for giving, and who doesn’t love a great white elephant gift exchange?
They usually entail cute, funny and small gifts, but for Lauren Briseño, a sophomore volleyball player at Baylor University, the exchange she received, was something much better — a full-ride scholarship.
The San Antonio native joined her team at a their coaches’ house, where she thought they were gathered to watch a match of the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Championship.
Before the game though, the team partook in a white elephant gift exchange. After first receiving a posted signed by her teammates, Briseño was instructed by her coach to pick a different gift, which turned out to be the announcement of her full scholarship from Baylor Volleyball.
Briseño joined the team last year as a walk-on. But her skill, determination and resilience made her the only freshman to play every match for Baylor during the 2021 season.
Briseño has definitely earned her spot on the team. She served six aces against TCU — the most any player has served up in a single game. Now those skills have earned her a full-ride scholarship.
“I was not expecting it whatsoever,” Briseño told GMA “Lo and behold, I get this mystery box and I had no idea what it entailed and I opened it up and sure enough it’s a scholarship and I just burst into tears.”
Our picks this week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is your No. 1 source for things to do, see, make, buy and eat through the holidays. Here are our recommendations:
LISTEN: What’s on Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ holiday playlist?
DRINK: Here’s the holiday spirit Atlanta’s sipping this Christmas
DO: Seven places to show off your ice skating moves in and around Atlanta
VISIT: Full AJC holiday guide for things to do, buy and enjoy
For our full coverage of holiday events around metro Atlanta, check out the AJC’s Things to Do page.
About the Author
Ebony Williams is a writer, indie producer and director, and journalist for a variety of magazine outlets. Her career has led her to create content for entertainment, sports, lifestyle, local breaking news and more.
