Lacrosse wasn't always a huge dream for me.

In fact, lacrosse in my area wasn’t even accessible to young girls until my mom got people together to start up a youth program that fed into my high school. My older brother played lacrosse and I wanted to do what he did.

For the longest time, I was just doing something I enjoyed, something my siblings did. It wasn't until high school that I realized I wanted to play in college.

When I was a freshman, I was on the varsity team with just one other freshman, Lauren. Through my four years playing in high school, Lauren pushed me to get better and showed me what putting in the extra work looks like. I will always be thankful for her motivation.

She's the type of person who had known she wanted to play Division I Lacrosse since she was a little girl.

By the time our junior year came around and the recruiting process began, we were both thinking about where we'd end up playing in college. My recruiting process looked a lot different than my teammate’s which was a big struggle for me; the comparison game became consuming.

COVID affected my recruitment heavily.

It was almost impossible to get in front of schools and coaches to show them what I could do since nothing occurred in person. Film was the main tool used for recruiting during this time, and I didn't have much film to show after my freshman year.

I was a completely different player by my junior and senior years, and I just didn't have the opportunity to show that to anyone.

As my junior year was coming to an end, I didn’t have the offers I thought I would.

It was really hard not to compare myself at that point.

I knew that I still wanted to play in college, no matter how long it took me to get there, so I continued to send the emails, go to prospect camps, and put myself out there.

I just had to trust that I'd find my school eventually, and I did.

I committed to Kent State in November of my senior year, and it was such a relief.

It's hard to describe the feeling of finding 'your' school.

A weight was lifted off my shoulders. 

I now had something to look forward to instead of stress about.

I couldn't wait to tell my friends and family and get to work.

I was officially going to be a Division I athlete at Kent State, and I couldn't have been more excited.

Finding my fit

The recruiting process was so difficult, especially with COVID, but I'm so grateful that I found Kent State.

The coaches and players just made me feel at home from the moment I stepped on campus. I felt safe and knew these people would create a great family, which was so important for me since Ohio is so far from home. It's a really special place, and I'm so thankful to be a part of this team.

I'm from Georgia, so northeast Ohio weather was not exactly what drew me to this school! I loved the small-town feel of Kent and I have access to everything I need here.

It's such a safe and friendly place, and I just knew that I'd be happy here.

I also loved the fact that I'd get to be a part of a program that was on the rise. We won the regular season in the MAC last year, and I know that we can go even further this year.

I'm so excited to see what we make of this season, and I'm just so happy to be a part of this team.

My passion for pathology

Lacrosse is really important to me, but it's not the only thing I'm passionate about.

I'm also really interested in my major here at Kent State, speech pathology.

I've known since I was in middle school that I wanted to do something in the therapy field, as I've always had a desire to help people.

I just think it's so rewarding to be able to help people who are in need. I've always been a big talker and a good communicator, so I thought that speech pathology would be a good fit for me.

My mom is a first-grade teacher, and she's been a teacher for over 20 years now. She's always been such a big inspiration to me, and her influence is one of the main reasons that I want to go into this field.

I've always thought it was so amazing how much teachers do for their students.

They're basically speech pathologists, audiologists, teachers, and moms all in one day. They do so much for their students, and they're just such special people.

I have so much respect for what they do, and I've always wanted to have a career where I could help people in a similar way.

Looking ahead

I've learned so much on and off the field, but the most important lesson I've learned is to not take anything for granted.

I've seen so many of my friends and teammates get injured over the years, and it just makes me appreciate every moment that I get to be out on the field doing what I love. Anything can be taken away from us in the blink of an eye, so it is so important to make the most of it.

I want to make the most of every opportunity I have, and just give it my all every time I step on the field.

I feel like I have the chance to be a part of something special here at Kent State.

I can't wait to see what we can do this season, and I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to be here.

I know that I have so much more to learn and accomplish, but I'm just really enjoying the ride and taking it one day at a time.

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