It is a blessing to be able to attend college for free and still continue to do what you love. It’s not as easy as people think to play a sport and manage your grades. Also you have to be willing to wake up early and go home later than most people. When you play a sport you have to be committed to sacrificing things such as missing a party or not being able to go hang out with your friends. I recently talked with a few well known senior student-athletes and got their take on how it feels to get the opportunity to attend college for free and how much work it took for them to be where they are now. Kiara Negron ‘18, a varsity catcher/3rd base, has committed to Concordia University Wisconsin for a full ride scholarship to play softball. Kiara Negron said “It’s a blessing to know that all the practices, lessons, and games have paid off.” People tend to forget how much work these athletes have to endure to accomplish that. Javon Freeman ‘18, a 6’4 guard, has committed to Valparaiso University for a full ride scholarship to play basketball. Javon said, “It feels great to have a full ride to college because that means you really achieved your goal for high school. Maya Popernik ‘18, an outside hitter, committed to Bryant University for a full ride scholarship to play volleyball. ” Maya noted, “I get to enjoy my senior year and not have to worry about college admissions.” Kiara Negron also said “Being an athlete isn’t as easy as everybody thinks it is and so when a college sits down and is willing to pay for your education and for a spot on a team doing what you love is just a great feeling.” All three of them are relieved that they don’t have to go through the process of filling out college applications and writing essays. Congratulations to these three student-athletes and I hope they have a good season!