Almost from the minute they offered her a scholarship this summer, Amber Gaston knew that Florida Atlantic University was where she wanted to play basketball. So when the opportunity came to make it official, she figured there was no sense in putting it off.

The Warren Central center and reigning Vicksburg Post Player of the Year signed her letter of intent with FAU on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period. A few other schools had shown interest, but in the end there was really only one that she was also interested in.

“I committed to them already and figured I might as well seal the deal,” Gaston said. “This is where I want to go. Going into the season, it’s going to help me feel more secure. I worked hard for this and it paid off.”

Gaston has come a long way in three seasons. As a freshman and sophomore she averaged 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. She doubled that in her sophomore season, and then became a dominant force in the post last year.

Gaston averaged 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in 2016-17, won the Post’s Player of the Year award, and led the Lady Vikes to a 23-9 record. She scored in double figures 20 times. The 2017-18 season begins Thursday night at home against Raymond, and Gaston has already been named to several preseason all-state teams.

“It was hard to see. You could see where you wanted to go but couldn’t touch it,” Gaston said of her goals at the start of her high school career. “Each year I got better and got more exposure to a lot of things. I knew I could be greater, and I still haven’t reached my full potential.”

Gaston is also one of the top students in Warren Central’s Class of 2018, and Florida Atlantic’s academic reputation played as big a role in her college decision as basketball did. Gaston plans to major in biology.

She said she tries to set a good example for everyone around her through her hard work both on the court and in the classroom.

“That’s what I strive to be, is a role model for my sisters and my peers. It’s hard in Mississippi to be successful, but basically I want to be the poster for if you work hard you can be,” Gaston said. “It’s not that hard to do the right things. You just have to be disciplined and you’ll see things unfold for you.”