How and why did you start playing soccer?

I started playing soccer when I was five years old. I’m the younger sister by five years, and I would always go watch my sister play, and I knew immediately that I wanted to play too.

How do you balance your time between school work and sports?

It can be extremely overwhelming at times, but I actually think that it’s easier to manage time when you play sports, because for me it forces me to prioritize my school work. This does occasionally mean homework in the car or starting homework at 11 pm, but a lot of teachers here are also very understanding about the demands of being a student athlete.

Do you have any pregame rituals?

My biggest pregame ritual is listening to my pump up playlist. It gets me focused and brings my energy up. (Full disclosure: Sweatpants by Childish Gambino is the single best pump-up song)

What do you think is the most exciting part of soccer?

Being a defender, the scoring isn’t the most exciting aspect to me. I love being a part of a team and helping to score, but I really love the aggressive aspect of the game. There’s almost nothing more exciting to me than making a great tackle that stops the other team from scoring.

What clubs have you played for?

I started out playing AYSO, then started playing club soccer at Lakefront when I was 7. I switched clubs to Team Evanston when I was 12 and still play there and love every minute of it (my team is currently ranked 6th in the state). I also played on the ODP (Olympic Development Program) Illinois State team four years in a row.

Do you intend on playing soccer in college?

I actually just recently verbally committed to play D-1 soccer at UW-Milwaukee as of Feb. 23. I’ve known since I entered high school that I wanted to play college soccer, so it’s a real dream come true.

Who is your soccer role model?

I’m definitely inspired by the women’s national team as a whole, and there are many players in the EPL that I admire for their amazing skill. But to answer who is my soccer role model, I would have to say all of my teammates here and on my club team. They all push me to work harder and get better, and the support they give me is the real inspiration in my play.