Natalie Aramayo '21 Recruiting Profile

Throughout my 6 years of playing soccer, I have seen many players, some of who leave and some who stay to join the beautiful game. It is those who stay though who are my biggest competitors. These are the people who possess the same amount of passion for the game as myself, we both have the same determination and the same amount of work ethic. So why am I different? I strongly believe that my sense of responsibility has gotten me to where I am today. Over the last few years, I have realized that being first generation in this country requires a whole different level of responsibility. Per se, my years of schooling have been quite a challenge in the sense of having to emerge into an unfamiliar world at a fast pace. Along with my parents, we constantly delved into research, from learning the basic ways to do things in New England to adapting to a new culture, language, opportunities and to the education system; all of which differed from how my parents learned. 

As the oldest child, this situation has pushed me to find my own opportunities to achieve my goals, while adaptation was a daily target for all of us. My entrepreneur parents never followed a previously structured path, as they blindly walked through their experiences. Now, it’s on me… it’s my responsibility to create a path for myself and also for my younger brother. Luckily, this process has brought me many positive traits such as self sufficiency, independence, and gratefulness. A positive attitude and tenacity were also factors that have largely contributed to the foundation of my character and my personality today. 

As I'm approaching the end of my high school years, I must start looking into the near future. In terms of academics, I am considering the possibility of majoring in engineering. Following my passion, inner desires, intensity, determination, and my commitment, I’m very confident to say that I want to continue to pursue my soccer career in the world of women’s soccer. My aspiration is to not only create a path for myself, but for those women soccer athletes who have the same determination as me.