Q: Where are you from?

A: Urbandale, IA.

Q: Why did you choose Simpson?

A: I chose Simpson because they have a really good soccer program, as well as the close oeniorne-on-one connection with teachers. When you’re a student-athlete, you’re on the road a lot for games, so you miss classes as well as tests. So it’s always good to be able to be on the same page as your teacher. I’ll be able to text my advisor and ask about what happened in class, and I think that’s pretty cool.

Q: What are you studying?

A: Clinical health science.

Q: What activities are you involved in at Simpson?

A: I am in men’s soccer, President of SAE, Black Student Union, and also intramurals.

Q: Where is your favorite place on campus?

A: That’s a good question. I would say Buxton Stadium. I’ve had a lot of good moments and memories there. Next to the stadium, a close second would be the big water tower outside of SAE. I like watching the sunset behind the tennis courts there, sometimes. It’s pretty cool. But the stadium would be number one. 

Q: What is one fun fact not many people know about you?

A: I was born in Madrid, Spain.

Q: What are your plans for after graduation?

A: I’m kind of keeping my options open. I know I want to go into something with business and sales. I’m working with a marketing company right now that presents kitchen products. I’ve been working with them, and I will probably work with them after college. I’ve looked into pharmaceutical sales and real estate as well.

Q: Do you have any concerns with how COVID-19 might impact your senior year and life after you graduate?

A: Not really. It’s funny, actually, that you asked that question. I actually ran my own business this summer. Vector Marketing is the marketing company I work with, and I am a sales rep for them. I sell high-quality kitchen cutlery such as any kitchen product – knives, forks, spoons, pots, pans, etc. They actually let me open up my own office in Cedar Falls, Iowa, but due to the pandemic, I was actually able to work remotely. Long story short, I got a lot of experience running my own business during a pandemic and it opened a lot of doors for me. So I wouldn’t say it would be difficult to find a job, or I’m not worried about finding a career after college.

Q: What is your all-time favorite memory at Simpson College?

A: I have a couple of good memories. I don’t want to be all soccer-related, but I would say my absolute favorite memory is definitely beating Luther at Buxton Stadium last year. We beat them 2-1. Luther was ranked number one in the region at the time, and we beat them at home. We beat every team in that conference except for Luther for the past, like, nine years, and then we beat them for the first time, so that was pretty memorable.

Q: What advice would you give to your freshman self?

A: I would say, “work hard, play hard.” I think that’s the biggest thing. You know, you’re away from home and you kind of control your own life when you’re at college. You kind of choose what you do, so you’ve got to understand that you have to put in the work first before you want to play. You can basically hang out with your friends any time, but doing the hard stuff, like studying, requires more time. There needs to be a balance. I wish I had done that a little bit better when I was a freshman.

Q: What’s something you’re going to miss about Simpson?

A: I definitely will miss soccer. I’m going to miss SAE, and I’m going to miss just friends in general. Oh, and Cal Busby. 

Q: What do you want your impact to be?

A: My impact would just be leading my chapter towards a good path basically for the future. I want to set a good example for future members and to just be a place of friendship or a place to go if they ever need anything. I want my impact to be that I gave it my all and was nice to everybody. Also, I want part of my legacy to be that I won a conference championship for soccer.