Year: Junior

Sports: Soccer

Major: Secondary English Education major, Communications minor

I’m a secondary English education major with a communications minor. I’m a junior at Calvin. I’m from Mason, Mich., but I was born in southern California. I graduated from Lansing Christian School in 2015. I’m 21 years old. My name is Rebecca, but the team calls me PB. PB stands for peanut butter, ponytail braid, pull back (my favorite move) and perfect butt.

What do you love about soccer?

I love soccer because it has taught me so much and has given me so many opportunities. It has taught me how to be strong physically, emotionally and mentally. It has also taught me how to be a leader, how to persevere. It has taught me about dedication and responsibility. It has taught me how to push myself and work hard. It has taught me about teamwork and sacrificing my wants and needs for the greater good. It has taught me about humility and worship.It has taught me how to live a healthy lifestyle. I’ve learned about honor and respect, and I’ve learned a lot about optimism. The list could go on forever. I love working hard and making sacrifices for something bigger than myself — that’s such a cool feeling. Soccer for me is like when musicians or dancers are performing, or when an artist gets enveloped into a piece – they immerse themselves into something that’s really liberating and beautiful, and for a little while they’re more than just themselves. It’s difficult to describe. I really love my team at Calvin. They’ve really redefined the word “team” for me. They’re all amazing people.

When did you start playing?

I started playing soccer at my elementary school in third grade as a result of peer pressure.

What brought you to Calvin?

I came to Calvin for a variety of reasons. The school fulfilled pretty much everything I wanted in a college, and when I visited, I absolutely loved the culture of Calvin. The main reason is that almost all of my teachers and coaches I had growing up that I admire and am inspired by, graduated from Calvin. If that many amazing and life-changing people came from Calvin, I knew there had to be something special about it. Calvin also has a wonderful English department.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?hat are your personal and/or professional goals?

In 10 years, I hope to be teaching English at a high school. I also hope to be [an] assistant soccer coach at whatever school I end up at. I want to have lots of pets- specifically cats and a corgi. In addition to being a teacher and coach, I also hope to be an author. During my summers off, I want to take studio art classes. I also want to be a mom.

Who is your role model and why?

I have multiple role models. It’s cliche, but my mom is my role model. She is the strongest woman I know, and she is so wise. I also look up [to] all my English teachers but specifically Miss Somerville and Mr. Kleyn. They challenged me, put extra effort and energy into me, and opened up my mind to so many different ways of thinking. My high school soccer coaches, Joel VandeKopple and Phil Malefyt, are also big role models for me. Each of them believed in me and pushed me to achieve my full potential. They’re both big reasons why I play at Calvin now.

What hobbies/interests do you have?

I love anything to do with art. I love sketching, painting, photography, theater, music, writing, reading, etc. I was involved in dance guild this past spring, and I’m also a big hockey fan.

How do you feel about the season?

This season is unique in the fact that the freshman that came in this year are really strong, and we have little rebuilding to do. I think our all-around strength shows in our record so far. I think this year’s squad is capable of some really great things because everyone works so hard and stays supportive and positive. We’ve also been doing some cool things like a bi-weekly bible study, so the spiritual presence on the team is strong as well.