Set for my next chapter… almost…

I have decided on St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin where I will study Physics and Math, and have an opportunity to play football for the Green Knights!  I will head off to Wisconsin in early August to report for football.

After visiting nine schools, St. Norbert kept coming back as my number one choice.  My overnight stay, meetings with the amazing coaches, an amazing campus tour, the new gym facilities, a really cool stadium along with the passion for football in De Pere (St Norbert is 10 min. from Lambeau Field in Green Bay) really helped in my decision – plus my mom has a gut feeling that it’s the right place for me.

Plane time is study time

Before I had my surgeries in 2017, I was starting to get some interest from a few schools to do camps and unofficial visits. That was put on hold with everything I went through for the last couple of years.  My goal has always been to go to college after high school, and once I showed I could play close to the level where I was before my surgeries and complications, that opened up the opportunity to play football in college.

Travel Perk – Good Food

Once I knew I could play again at a high level (Trinity League), I started up again looking for a place to go to college and play football.  We sent information to roughly 100 schools ranging from Division 1 2A to D3 and NAIA schools. I had solid interest from 24 colleges and that’s where I really focused to narrow down my choice.

Flyer

In addition to just going to college, I want to go somewhere outside of California so I can experience some different things – I’ve only lived in Orange County.  The criteria though were places that had great medical facilities in close proximity for just in case, I’d like to experience the cold (seasons), and places where we had family and friends somewhat close by.  The states I looked at included Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.  I applied to 13 colleges, was accepted to 12, and was wait listed by one.  I am very proud of my accomplishment.

The schools I looked at are listed below with a few photos from the ones I visited.

One thing I learned is that there are many amazing schools with incredible campuses, coaches and staff; many of which I never heard of before I started looking. A lot of kids who play sports focus on D1 schools, but there is a whole new opportunity out there with the other divisions.

• St Norbert College, De Pere WI – visited and where I am going!
• Ripon University, Ripon WI – visited
• Carthage College, Kenosha WI – visited
• Aurora College, Aurora  IL – visited
• Pacific University, Forest Grove OR – visited
• Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA – visited
• Northwestern College, Orange City IA – visited
• Puget Sound, Tacoma WA – visited
• Willamette University, Salem, OR – wait listed – visited
• Assumption, Worcester MA
• Beloit, Beloit WI
• Linfield, McMinnville OR
• Bethel College, St Paul MN