Where Are They Now? With Sarah Jessilonis

By Amy Russell

Former Cougar soccer standout and 2008 graduate Sarah Jessilonis is representing Chesapeake High School well as a soccer star at Salisbury University. Now a junior, the Cougar-turned-Sea Gull was named to the 2010 All-Capital Athletic Conference second team.

The forward has played in 52 games since her first start in 2008, racking up 18 goals and three assists, and is one for one in penalty kicks. As a freshman, Jessilonis was named CAC Player of the Week in September and as a sophomore she was placed on the CAC All-Academic Team.

This year, the Salisbury Sea Gulls went 8-12 overall, 5-3 in their conference, including major wins over Marymount (2-1), St. Mary’s (1-0), Mary Washington (1-0), Wesley (3-1), and Hood (7-0).

This month we spoke to Sarah Jessilonis to find out how she wound up at Salisbury and how she feels about her success both on the soccer field and in the classroom.  Click the "read more" link to see the Q&A!

Q: How did you get into soccer?

A: I really wanted to play soccer after watching my older brother play most weekends, so I started playing for Mountain Road when I was three or four years old.

Q. Did you always know you wanted to play in college, or was that a goal that came to you later?

A. I knew from the start of high school that I wanted to play soccer in college and hoped I would find a school that I both liked and could play soccer for.

Q. How did you choose Salisbury?

A. I always liked the idea of going to Salisbury even before visiting the school during my junior and senior years of high school. I really liked that it was in driving distance from home (and the beach!) When I visited the campus it felt very welcoming and comfortable. I looked at a few other schools including Towson and Maryland, but decided I wanted to go to Salisbury pretty early on in my search.

Q. Tell us about your first start at Salisbury, how did you feel?

A. I started my first game during my freshman year, which I was really excited about… and wasn't totally expecting. I was a little nervous at first, but that went away as soon as the game started.

Q. You are an exercise science major, seeking a minor in health. How did you choose that path?

A. I've always been interested in those topics and exercise science is great because it can lead you into so many different fields.

Q. You were named to the CAC All-Academic team last year. Was that a goal?

A. It wasn't a specific goal, but I always try to keep my grades up as much as I can.

Q. Do you find it difficult to maintain a high GPA while playing soccer?

A. I actually think soccer might help me keep my GPA up. Soccer keeps me really busy, which requires me to plan time for homework, and that system has worked well for me.

Q. How did it feel to be named All-CAC?

A. I was surprised to learn that I was picked for second team All-CAC. There are a lot of girls in the conference that played really well this year and I was happy to be included among them.

Q. What advice would you give high school soccer players who want to play in college?

A. I would say to keep working hard and play soccer as much as you can. Pick what schools you like early and make sure you like their soccer programs as well. Playing soccer after high school is a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it.

Q. What are your goals next year in school and on the soccer field?

A. I hope the team wins the conference championship my senior year and we improve our record. I plan to also keep up with school and focus on graduation.

Q. Finally, where do you see yourself in five years?

A. It's hard to even imagine five years from now but as of now I could picture myself being done with school and having a job in occupational therapy, hopefully in a state with much warmer winters!