Dreams years in the making culminate this semester as high school seniors across mid-Missouri gather in gymnasiums to sign their national letters of intent to play collegiate sports. For these student-athletes, including one from School of the Osage who received a full athletic scholarship, the ceremonial signing of papers represents both the end of their high school careers and the beginning of their next competitive chapter.
These dreams aren’t always the same for every athlete. For example, I had no plans of playing collegiate sports after my last high school volleyball game, for the majority of my senior year left my mind dead set on going to Arkansas for the Fall of 2025. Life has a funny way of switching things up, though. The majority of my senior year left my mind dead set on going to Arkansas for the Fall of 2025.
My mom wanted me to go on a visit to Columbia College, so I sent in a list of my accomplishments regarding my athletic talent and academic achievements, knowing that if I went there I would want to play on their volleyball team. I started the process by sending in my letter of intent and one day later I was on a call with the head coach of the volleyball team. Shortly after, I went on my campus visit and realized all of the close-to-home and athletic opportunities I would have.
Thinking about the upcoming shift that I am about to face from playing at a high school level to a collegiate level makes me realize that the switch is going to be a challenge, but I know I will be able to adjust.
It is definitely a surreal full-circle moment to flash back to when I was an incoming high school freshman, and I now find myself in the same position but at the college level. The day of my signing felt like tying a bow on my high school volleyball career: it was a symbol of closing a big four-year chapter of my life to move on to the next exciting athletic opportunity.
