Wilde Lake senior athletes have spent four years sprinting down the field and weaving through the court in high school. Now, three of these students are being recognized for their skill at the collegiate level.

These seniors have committed to various colleges along the East Coast to continue their athletic and academic careers at the collegiate level beginning in the fall of 2025.

Each athlete has worked hard to find a balance between their sport and other commitments. Despite the struggle of balancing school work, athletics, and their personal lives, these students exceeded expectations academically and athletically to pursue their sport past high school.

“The Paw Print” interviewed three of Wilde Lake’s star committed athletes.

Sophia Julian, Millersville University, Soccer

Sophia Julian found her love for soccer at the age of five. As a young girl, Sophia knew she wanted to play soccer in college. She played for the club soccer team Soccer Association of Columbia (SAC) for 11 years. Two years ago, she decided to switch to the Baltimore Celtics for the opportunity to play in showcases and be looked at by different college scouts.

Soccer came naturally for Sophia growing up, but the recruitment process made her contemplate quitting after 13 years of dedication.

At the beginning of the recruitment process, Sophia says she was having a hard time getting recognized by colleges despite her hard work. This had a strong impact on her attitude and made her question her future with soccer. Sophia struggled to perform well because she felt less confident on the field.

“I wasn’t quite getting the looks that I was anticipating,” said Sophia. “It affected my mental health because I felt like I was better and deserved the looks I wasn’t getting. I feel like sports are always a mental game so if your mental health is off, then your performance also becomes off because you’re not as confident.”

Even with these hardships, Sophia persevered. She was motivated to keep playing because of the positive feedback she began to receive from Millersville University.

“Millersville’s coach was one of the coaches that stuck with me and showed continued interest in me. I kept talking to him, sending him film, and they asked me if I wanted to play,” said Sophia.

Sophia knows Millersville is the right choice for her because of its proximity to home.

“Millersville is only an hour and a half away. I’m very family-oriented, so I want my family to come watch my games, and I want to be able to come home easily,” she said.

Evan Figueroa, Hood College, Soccer

Evan Figueroa started playing soccer 12 years ago on a small club team coached by his friend’s dad. He got passionate about playing soccer and has now played club and school soccer simultaneously for the past four years.

“I’ve been playing club since I was eight, and I just finished my fourth year of varsity high school soccer,” Evan said.

Playing for Wilde Lake and his club team at the same time is a big commitment, and Evan said he struggled to balance his free time productively.

“Balancing school assignments and soccer was hard for me because I have really bad time management skills,” Evan said. “Trying to balance soccer, which I play year round, with my other commitments is really difficult.”

However, Evan found a way to make time for everything he was juggling, and he was noticed by Hood College at a tournament he attended. Evan visited Hood and said “it felt like home,” which sealed the deal on his commitment.

Evan has always valued having a “family” on the field, which he is looking forward to forming at Hood.

“I’m excited to go play with a new team and make new friendships,” Evan said.

Jasmine Nelson, Salisbury University, Volleyball

Jasmine Nelson began playing volleyball when she was 11 years old. Before discovering volleyball, she knew she wanted to follow in her parents’ footsteps and play a sport in college.

At first, Jasmine found it difficult to feel comfortable in the volleyball world. Over the years, Jasmine says she compared herself to other players which caused her to feel discouraged.

“Comparing myself to other players made me overthink a lot and not play as well as I knew I could,” Jasmine said.

Despite this struggle, Jasmine says her love for volleyball never stopped. “I started to feel discouraged, but I never stopped loving volleyball. This was just a mental block I had to overcome,” she said. “Overcoming my mental block was hard, but with extra practice and private training, I proved to myself that I am a good player. I realized that I shouldn’t be comparing myself to others.”

Jasmine’s love for the game and her newfound confidence pushed her through the recruitment process, and she eventually found her new home, Salisbury. She says she chose Salisbury because of the teammates she met, the campus, and the school environment.

“I’m excited to be part of a team and go into an environment where I’m already friends with everyone,” said Jasmine.