Courtesy of Hillary Gonzalez

Hillary dribbles the ball to the goal as defenders close in on her

As a Division 3 athlete attending Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Class of ‘25 alumna Hillary Gonzalez finds herself thriving despite her challenging schedule.

“Managing your time wisely and living independently was one of the biggest challenges when first starting, but you get used to it,” Gonzalez said.

After waking up at 7:30, Hillary grabs a nutritious breakfast before heading to her economics class. She notes how fueling up in the morning is the most important part of her day. 

After a full day of classes and studying, the clock hits 4 p.m., and that means it’s time for Gonzalez to attend practice. Her team starts off with a 10-minute warm-up consisting of passing and stretching. Then, they practice game realistic drills such as passing drills and game realistic drills. To end practice, they play a small sided scrimmage.

“College is definitely a step up from club. Much more time is dedicated to your sport,” Gonzalez said. “The intensity is also way higher.”

Unlike high school and her club Pleasanton RAGE, where Gonzalez  trained three times per week, the collegiate level, she has two-hour practices on most days. The team incorporates lifting after practice on Mondays and Thursdays and film review on Tuesdays and Fridays, where they prepare for the game the next day. On top of all the team training, Gonzalez also notes how the team does more than expected. 

“It’s pretty common to put in extra work like gym workouts outside of practice,” she added.

On game days, Gonzalez only has one class which gives her plenty of time to get ready for her game. If her team’s game is away, the team will travel together to their game. 

After soccer, Hillary winds down in her room and catches up on homework and other assignments. At around 10:30 p.m., she tucks herself into bed.