MCLA Beacon Online

By Amelia Cahillane

Sports Writer

For Gabby Fernandez, soccer was always a big part of her life. From third grade until her senior year of college, the sport provided her with much more than just fulfillments in the realm of athletics. Gabby attributes the many strong bonds she’s formed with those around her to the sport, looking back nostalgically on all her years playing.

A native of Queens, N.Y., the environment there was not ideal for the young girl to participate in soccer early on.“We lived in an area with a lot of apartments and not really any fields to play on,” Gabby said. However, very soon after, the Fernandez family packed up and headed to the beautiful northern Atlantic Long Island.There, Gabby became friends with a fellow third grader who was very involved in the sport. “I used to go over to her house all the time and play soccer with her,” says Gabby. She explains how it was her friend’s dad who got Gabby involved in the sport by putting her on his daughter’s team.

From there, she continued playing throughout the rest of her pre-college schooling. Once Gabby decided soccer was something she wanted to pursue in college, MCLA began looking very appealing.“I wanted to continue playing a sport, and I knew I could do that here,” Gabby said, explaining the reason she decided to become a Trailblazer. Though she wasn’t recruited, Gabby has proved an asset to the women’s soccer team.

“She’s a positive, encouraging attribute to the team,” said teammate Sam Miller. “Her composure and patience on the field makes our defense that much stronger.”Like it is for many college new comers, Gabby’s first year proved to be her favorite. “I was excited to be away from home and able to do my own thing,” she said. “It also felt good to be part of the team and it allowed me to meet so many people right away.” Gabby’s freshman year on the soccer field was nothing like her most recent.

“I didn’t play as much my freshman and sophomore seasons. Each year I got a lot more playing time though and definitely improved overall,” she said. Gabby wasn’t the only aspect of the Trailblazers women’s soccer program that was continuously improving. As a whole, the team progressively got better with each passing season. This event will then be followed by another Long Island summer.“I’ll be working as a camp counselor where I’ve worked for the past few years,” she explained. The sociology major continues to discuss future plans, as she unveils her unique mentality on the world of careers.

“Everyone says we’re in hard times right now, but I feel like that might not be all true. Yeah, it’s hard to get a job that pays a ton, but there are jobs you can get to be able to support yourself. I just want to enjoy life. People can say it’s a naive way to look at it, but the way I see it, the more you stress the less time you have to look for something you like to do,” Gabby said.As for her own career, the senior speaks of one day possibly seeking a job in the field of social work. But for right now, she’s just seeing what comes her way. Gabby is sure of one thing she’d love to do after college:“If I could do anything it would be travel. After being in such a small area for the past four years, I want to see the world before I get too tied down in life.”

Her vivacious personality combined with sincere open mindedness has turned the majority of Gabby’s college experiences into nothing but fun, positive memories. Now all that’s left for her to do is await life’s next adventure.