Natalie Powell loves soccer.  She has played at Charles Wright since she arrived on campus in sixth grade and competed outside of school on the elite Washington Premier 91 club team since she was 12 years old.  She has long dreamed of playing the most competitive soccer of her life when she reached college.  Her parents and coaches realized years ago that she is a gifted athlete with the potential to make that dream a reality.  

However, like most CWA students, Natalie began her college search also looking for a school that would be a good fit academically and provide the sense of community she has enjoyed as a Tarrier.  That search ended last summer when she verbally committed to Saint Mary’s College of California, a school that meets all of her expectations.  She made her choice official on February 3 when she signed a national letter of intent to play for the Gales.

Division I schools offer the most competitive athletic programs in the country.  Women’s soccer players are often recruited earlier than other athletes and some verbally commit as early as their sophomore years of high school.  Natalie’s commitment, last August, was actually made comparatively late in the process.  “I wanted to take a balanced approach to picking a college,” she said.

Although the largest schools in the country are Division I schools, the size and character of those schools varies widely.  Saint Mary’s has an enrollment of fewer than 4,000 undergraduates.  By comparison, the University of Washington has more than 30,000.  “I wanted the top soccer program I could get,” Natalie explains.  She considered both larger Division I schools and some of the top Division II programs in the country.  “At Saint Mary’s I think I can get significant playing time, but the program is still really, really competitive,” she says.

Natalie visited Saint Mary’s three times during her college search.  She attended a soccer camp there last summer, visited again with her parents, and then made an official recruiting visit paid for by Saint Mary’s to get to know the other players and watch the soccer team compete.  Like many Division I players, she will receive a partial scholarship through the Gales athletic program.

Those visits also helped Natalie get to know the school’s community and its academic programs.  “Saint Mary’s is a really good fit for me academically,” she says.  “I want to go into physical therapy and they have a really good kinesiology program.”

Natalie has been very involved in school activities at Charles Wright and finding a school with a strong sense of community was also important in her college search.  She played JV basketball and ran track her sophomore year.  She participated in the Polish exchange her freshman year and traveled to El Salvador during Winterim this year.  She plays Ultimate – a fun, supportive, fast paced sport that helps her keep in shape for soccer – and may continue playing intramurals in college.

She has also served for three years on the Upper School Honor Board as one of five students elected by her peers to work with faculty reviewing violations of major school rules and make recommendations to school administrators.  As Board head this year, Natalie keeps busy going to student faculty senate and student council meetings as well.  “Serving on the Honor Board has given me a different perspective about rules.  I’ve learned that they’re not there to hurt you but to keep others around you safe and comfortable.  Even the rules you don’t agree with are there for a reason and are important to the community.”