On this student athlete day, we wanted to highlight students who manage to balance their lives on and off the field. Olivia, class of 2026 attends Moore Catholic in Staten Island and is deeply dedicated to the sports she plays. She has been playing basketball since she was in kindergarten and softball since she was in the 5th grade. Olivia knew she wanted to play both sports in high school because, “that’s how I made friends and spent all my summers.”
Moore’s strong athletics department was what attracted her to the school. The softball team had won state titles and were seven-time city champions. “I knew I would come in and improve,” she said. Improve she did. In her first year at Moore playing softball, Olivia was featured in a newspaper. She hit a walk off hit in a crucial game. Her sophomore year is not much different: “We’ve only lost one game so far out of nine games.” And winning a city championship her first year was especially meaningful. “That was such a highlight ... winning with my team was a great experience because it was such a collective thing. I feel like I’m a part of something, part of a championship winning team! It’s so great to look forward to it at the end of the school day.”
With success comes challenges and hardship. Being a student athlete means getting to pursue your passion outside of the classroom, though sometimes the balance between academics and athletics can be difficult. Olivia said there is a specific kind of pressure to maintain her grades while also dedicating considerable time to practicing her sports. “Playing keeps me motivated to keep my grades up,” she said. ”I have to make sure I’m maintaining both.” With pride in her voice, she recalled that her softball team has the highest cumulative grade point average of all the teams at Moore. When a team member doesn’t understand an assignment or has difficulty with a subject, they provide the same type of support they do on the field. “We build each other up.”
Olivia’s passions are not limited to athletics. “My favorite subject has always been science...it’s so easy to connect with. I’m literally seeing it all in front of me.” She has enjoyed biology and earth science and is looking forward to chemistry next year. Outside of class, Olivia also joined the broadcasting club, thoughtfully and with intention. “I don’t want to go professionally for sports, but I would like to pursue something that has to do with sports,” she said. Sports broadcasting is 100% what I want to do. That club allowed me to experience what that would really be like.”
Moore offers opportunities like Olivia’s favorite sports and the broadcasting club to further her career, and those possibilities are the direct effect of SSP. Olivia noted that the tuition support SSP offers is ultimately what allows her these opportunities. “SSP took a lot of stress off my parents – they have three other kids, so not everything is about me financially, in that sense.” She added, "It's not just the scholarship; it’s that I have someone by my side. It’s that support system.” Olivia’s mentor, Joanne, is consistently attentive and supportive, and she hasn’t missed that Joanne goes out of her way to be kind and thoughtful. “I know that I can go to my mentor any time during the day.” The support of SSP does not end at tuition support and mentorship. The programs team works tirelessly to meet the needs of students as they come up and even offers events for cultural expansion. In the last few months, SSP has offered students tickets to a Knicks game and to Wicked on Broadway. Olivia shared photos of her attending both events, saying they were incredible experiences she would not have had without the support of SSP. “Going to the Knicks game was amazing for me. I saw it firsthand – a was a woman broadcaster, which I’d never seen. It was an amazing opportunity!”
