Athletes Commit to College

Seniors recruited are Camille Coffey, Alyssa Conti, Alyssa Walton (pictured) and Natalie Zeenni. The only junior already committed is Katie Johnson.

“I’m really excited; volleyball is my passion,” said Coffey, who will join the Stags volleyball team at Fairfield University in Connecticut.

She will attend on a merit scholarship her freshman year, but will receive a full athletic scholarship her second, third and fourth years.

“The pressure was really difficult during recruitment, but now that I’m committed it feels really good. All I have to do now is keep up my grades,” said Coffey.

Conti is also over the pressure of college applications following her commitment to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.

“It has been my dream to go to Hopkins for so long and now it literally feels unreal,” said Conti, who committed on July 21.

After contacting Hopkins last spring about her interest in playing soccer, she was invited for an unofficial visit. The coach asked her to participate in a recruit camp, after which he offered her a spot on the college team.

Because Hopkins is a D-3 soccer school, Conti will not attend on scholarship.

She begins pre-season the first week of August next year, and knows “it will be hard to part with [her] family so early.” But being accepted to the school of her dreams and playing her favorite sport makes it all worth it.

Walton is another athlete fulfilling her college aspiration when she begins playing volleyball for Delaware State next year.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I already know some of my teammates, so I think that will make the transition easier,” she said.

She had to choose between Portland State and Delaware, but decided on the latter at the offer of a full-ride scholarship.

“I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with college applications anymore, but I still feel the pressure of SATs and keeping my grades up,” said Walton.

Soccer star Zeenni feels no pressure to choose a college as she committed at the beginning of her junior year to the University of New Mexico, where she will be on full scholarship.

“I just knew it was the right place for me, I fell in love instantly,” said Zeenni, who chose UNM over Santa Clara, LMU, Cal State Long Beach and UC Irvine.

She has been playing soccer for 10 years and is currently on a Real So Cal club team.

Johnson is another soccer player who has committed to college as a junior. She has a verbal commitment to USC where her older sister and FSHA alum, Izzy Johnson ’09, attends. At this point, the scholarship is not guaranteed.

She chose between the University of Portland, Santa Clara and USC. Stanford attempted to recruit her after she was already committed to USC.

“I went to the camp when I was little and fell in love with the school [USC] and soccer program. When I went on my unofficial visit I knew that it was the school where I belonged,” said Johnson.

A forward on the FSHA team, Johnson also plays for Arsenal F.C in Upland, Cal South Olympic Development Program team and the Region IV ‘94 team.

For additional information about FSHA college commitments, check out this November 11 article in the Pasadena Star-News. -Lauren Donnelly, Veritas Shield sports editor