Photograph by Brandi Garriques

Upon completion of her final soccer season playing for the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), senior Maria Trujillo, could not have more emotions flooding through her. She is very excited to be a senior this year, which means graduating and moving onto the next chapter of her life but it also weighs heavy on her heart that she will no longer be apart of the soccer team that she has considered to be her family for the past four years at the college. She ended her college career, playing her senior game in a tough but hard fought battle against Gallaudet, with whom the CSE team tied with a 2-2 score. Maria was one of the few senior captains this year on the team and took to this leadership role as something to feel very proud about. Outside of playing soccer for the college, Maria is an art major and is very involved in using her artistic ability through mixed media forms to show environmental and animal injustices. She has a passion for art and animals so it is a perfect way for her to express her feelings and speak to issues that need light reflected on them. Maria has a lot ahead of her for her future that she has set some big goals and is approaching every next step with an open mind, ready to take on the world. The passion and the motivation she has for what she loves is admirable and I am lucky enough to have gotten to interview her. Aside from the answers to questions I have asked her that provided me my information for the previous paragraph, I have chosen a few questions that I loved her answer to and so I could directly quote her below in a small Q&A.

Question: What is your fondest memory of playing soccer for the College of Saint Elizabeth and/or being apart of the team?

Answer: Definitely when I heard my name called for senior day and I heard all of my teammates cheering for me. It made me realize my impact on the team and that I am a huge part of that team. It really hit me in that moment how far I had come in those four seasons of playing on a personal level and with my team.

Q: How do you feel that being apart of this team has helped you grow as a person and shaped your time here at CSE?

A: It shaped who I am as a person because it was constantly challenging me in a physical and mental way. Being apart of the team gave me a support system of friends/family that I have made a lot of memories with. I couldn't imagine being at CSE without having my team.

Q: What are you most excited for upon graduation?

A: To get into the art business world. I am excited for whatever comes my way and I'll be ready. I am going into everything that comes my way with an open mind and positive attitude. I just want to be happy and have a positive attitude with everything I do and am going to be doing in the future.

Photograph by Brandi Garriques