Through dedication and hard work, six NHP seniors have committed to pursuing a sport at the collegiate level. John Cutter, JP Mahoney, Jayden Patel, Vallerya Rojas, Sarah-Rose Dempsey and Mauricio Mejia-Montero have recently been accepted into college and are now preparing to play a competitive sport next year.
Seniors John Cutter and JP Mahoney are committed to play Division II baseball at Georgian Court University. Senior Jayden Patel is committed to play Division II baseball at Molloy University. Senior Vallerya Rojas is committed to competing in Division I track and field/cross country at Towson University. Senior Sarah-Rose Dempsey is committed to play division II soccer at Molloy University. Senior Mauricio Mejia-Montero is committed to play Division III soccer at SUNY Old Westbury.
“I have always had a love for running and I’ve had it set in my mind since my freshman year that I wanted to compete in college,” Rojas said.
As the college application season comes to an end, these six seniors are looking forward to their futures as higher-level athletes. They have practiced continuously throughout their academic careers at NHP in order to achieve this goal. All attribute their success and accomplishments to diligent coaches, cooperative teammates and discipline.
“Both my high school coach and my travel coach taught me things every year to help me achieve my goal to keep playing baseball in my future. They even put me in contact with a bunch of college coaches as well as helping me narrow down my list of potential schools,” Mahoney said.
These student athletes anticipate their freshman year of college to be new and exciting in and out of the classroom. They are looking forward to meeting not only their new classmates, but their new teammates and coaches.
“During my first year of college sports, I expect to have fun, while making friends and bonding with my team. I’m most excited about being on the team and just being able to continue to grow as a player in college,” Dempsey said.
“Playing college soccer is a challenge. I’m excited to face the competition and get better. Despite obstacles I had to face throughout my high school soccer career, I’m happy it taught me a lot and introduced me to some of my best friends. The preparation for the next level is tough and will take a lot of commitment and dedication, but I’m ready to face it head on,” Mejia-Montero said.
Many of these athletes have played their sport since seventh grade or earlier, and they are thrilled to witness their hard work pay off in real time. The coaches are extremely proud of their students, as many had big aspirations for their players’ successes from the beginning of their secondary school careers.
“She [Vallerya Rojas] has made exponential growth through her dedicated work ethic and training, and most importantly, her belief in herself. She saw what she was capable of doing in the young grades, had such a heart for the sport [Track and Field/Cross Country), and loves doing it all the time. You can see her progress throughout the years not only within herself but also within the sport. She saw her talent and realized her potential that she could do something special which has brought her to where she is now,” Coach Buith said.
As they begin to think about starting college, these seniors are anticipating their freshman year to be packed with a combination of academic rigor and frequent sports practice. These athletes plan to maintain balance through the use of proper time management skills, consistency and rest.
“I’m going to make myself a schedule, and I’m going to follow it… I‘ll take all of my classes early [in the day] to make it easier for me, so that after school, I can go right to practice,” Patel said.
As for underclassmen who also intend to pursue sports after high school graduation, these seniors encourage them to chase after that goal. The best advice they offer is for these students to continue to prioritize the development of both technique and collaborative skills.
“I would advocate [for] being able to work when no one is watching [you]. When I was young, I always thought it was just something people said, but it is true that if you’re disciplined and able to do it on your own, it will repay tenfold,” Cutter said.
