One minute you’re a star, the next you’re surrounded by them.

The transition from being the star in high school to just another player in college can make or break a college career.

For NIU women’s basketball player Jennifer Uptmor, it made one.

But not before she got past questioning her own abilities could she really shine.

Coming from Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, the 6-foot-3-inch center was a star. She averaged 15 points per game her senior year and was offered full ride scholarships to Long Island and NIU.

Uptmor eventually opted for NIU, but she realized just how far away from home she was once she stepped foot in DeKalb.

The players were better and the coaches tougher. This was a different kind of basketball.

“High school was not a challenge,” said Uptmor, who had been playing basketball since fourth grade. “Knowing that everybody in college is better was the challenge.”

The fact she was more than a state away from home just compounded the freshman’s problems.

“Coming from Dayton [Ohio] did not make my freshman year any easier,” Uptmor said. “I had my doubts being far away from home. All my friends back home were out partying and stuff freshman year. I was trying to adjust to playing ball.”

The distance eventually took its toll. Uptmor found herself confused, overwhelmed and sick for most of her freshman year.

But any time things got out of hand, Uptmor had the luxury of being able to just pick up the phone.

“I would have to say my parents helped me a lot,” Uptmor said. “Them knowing that I wanted to be a student athlete, and their support for me helped me a lot.”

Her parents wouldn’t let her question herself or give up. Three years later, Uptmor is now the starting center for the Huskies.

Uptmor spent many years on the basketball court, but doesn’t envision her career stretching beyond the college ranks.

With the challenge of college basketball conquered, Uptmor wants to pursue other dreams after she graduates.

“I think it has to be something else out there,” Uptmor said. “I never really had the desire to play ball after college.”

After she graduates with a degree in media studies and corporate communications, Uptmor plans to give up the basketball court for something she has wanted all along: a desk and an office.