After just finishing High School, Ellie was at a crossroads in her life.
The extremely talented young student has proved herself both on the soccer field, and in the arts studio.
“I’m kind of in a standstill where I don’t really know what I want to do. I love creating and I love the arts, but I don’t quite know what direction I want to take with that. And I don’t really know how far I want to take football,” she said.
These mixed-feelings feelings aside, Ellie was sure of her love for both soccer and the creative Arts, and possessed a hunger for adventure.
“This opportunity seemed perfect, because I can do both of them at the same time and see where I go from there,” she said.
After playing soccer during her teens, Ellie came across an NSR letter in the mail when she was 15, prompting her to consider it as a “cool opportunity”.
Ellie said she told herself she’d try out for it the following year, “for some fun”.
“The next year it came around, I went online and signed up. I saw that trials were in a week. It was all pretty fast, but I took the opportunity as ‘why not?!’” she said.
Now, Ellie has officially committed to North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, New York, and is excited to commence her semester.
“I get overwhelmed with how excited I am sometimes, but then as it gets closer I get a bit nervous because I’m kind of jumping into the deep end of independence. I’ve just finished school. Most people go to uni and then eventually you’ll move out or whatever, but this time I’m going to move to a whole other country and live and study over there,” she said.
Ellie looks forward to starting college, where she will be majoring in fine arts, and improving her soccer skills.
“I would love to get better at the sport and learn lots of things that I’m studying. Make new friends and learn more about myself. Also I want to come home…with some sort of accomplishment. I just want to learn as much as I possibly can, and grow as a person and whatnot. That’s the main thing,” she said.
You can bet Ellie will be checking out all the amazing museums the States has to offer!
Having been to America once before, Ellie has already been able to tick off visiting the Guggenheim, MET, and the Frick.
“I found out there’s heaps more [museums], so I’m excited to go back and have a week there and try out some more as well,” she shared.
You’re in for an amazing adventure, Ellie!