Check out this week’s Campus Celebrity, Kendall Wilde! Kendall is a sophomore, Pre-Nursing major, here, at UIC. She is on UIC’s first Women’s Soccer Team! Keep reading to hear what she has to say about it!
HC (Her Campus): What piqued your interest in sports, or soccer specifically? Did you play as a child or in high school?
KW (Kendall Wilde): I was around the age of four when I started playing recreational soccer. My parents were my motivators. At the beginning, I wasn’t as interested in playing soccer, but at the age of eight I realized the importance of playing and the passion it brought to my life. I have been playing the sport I love ever since!
HC: Did you always know you were going to play soccer at UIC?
KW: I knew I wanted to play college soccer. When I finally decided I wanted to pursue a nursing career, UIC was the best fit for the type of soccer I wanted to play and my education. I couldn’t be any happier with my decision and I am looking forward to the opportunities that will come in the next few years here at UIC.
HC: What is your favorite part of being on the first UIC Women’s Soccer Team and what is your least favorite part?
KW: My favorite part of being of UIC’s first women’s soccer team is the opportunity to start an amazing program. With the type of coaching staff and the amazing teammates I have, it is hard to see the negatives. The team is my favorite part of the whole experience. Knowing that the 26 of us are all doing this for our school and for each other is what makes this team so special. I have developed lifetime friendships with these girls. My least favorite part is there is no time to really take a break from things. Being in school and playing a sport, time management is crucial. You have to take away most of the leisure time that you once had before. However, it is what I came here for. So sacrifices have to be made to be successful both on and off the field at UIC.
HC: Can you describe one of your favorite games or event that has stuck with you throughout your soccer career?
KW: My two favorite soccer memories are when my high school team were crowned the IHSA State Champions my freshman year and when my club team won the US Youth Soccer National Championship the year we were about to enter college. It showed how much we grew and progressed when playing soccer and felt incredible to win opportunities so magical like a state championship or national championship. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, however, without the help and strength of my teammates and coaches those moments would have never been possible. It is a great achievement and I am proud of the success I had being on those teams and the teammates I had during this period of my life.
HC: Do you have any advice for any athletes out there?
KW: My best advice for athletes is always understand that playing a college sport teaches you more about life than you could ever imagine. You might feel like you miss out on certain things, and it will get tough, but I promise at the end of it all you’ll be wishing it was your first year all over again. It is an amazing opportunity to play a college sport and don’t ever take that for granted. Always consider how lucky you are to play something you love while going to school. It really becomes such a big part of your life.
HC: Do you have any role models or anyone who inspires you? If so, who?
KW: My role model is my older sister Alexa. She, being a collegiate athlete as well, has helped me tremendously. Both playing soccer in college, we have become such great motivators through discussing our frustrations with soccer and helping find solutions. We also grew stronger and closer motivating each other to become better soccer players. It is really nice to have someone older than you to help you with times of stress and pressure, especially if they can relate to your lifestyle so much. She is a strong leader and is a hard worker on and off the field. Being a captain on Baylor’s Women’s soccer team and maintaining a 4.0, with a major of Biomedical Engineering, she teaches me that nothing is impossible with hard work and I strive to be as amazing of a person as she is. She keeps me on my feet and I couldn’t be anymore grateful to have someone like her.
HC: Are you involved in any other activities at UIC or outside of UIC?
KW: Currently I am involved in the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. I try to attend church as much as I can. I would like to join more activities outside of soccer and school. I want to begin volunteering for hospitals to help guide me into my future career of nursing.
HC: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
KW: I want to be in a place of security and happiness. I want to be able to love what I do and be able to look at my past and be happy of what I have accomplished. I want to be successful and I want to have a successful family. Ten years is a long time and many things can change. I just want to make sure I can do the best I can and work hard at what I do, consistently today, as well as in the future. Overall, my main life goal is to be happy with my life through the ups and downs and to grow more and more every day.
HC: If you could be best friends with any celebrity, who would it be and why?
KW: I would love to be best friends with Kristen Wiig. She was one of the main cast members of Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids. Her wittiness is what makes me want to be best friends with her. I really like to laugh and enjoy company, and I feel like she would be great with both. She’s a strong person and has a great personality. She works hard at the things she loves and never seems to disappoint. I really like that about her.
HC: Ending thoughts? Anything you want to tell the readers?
KW: Enjoy your time in college. I cannot believe I am already a sophomore. Time goes by so fast and after these years of college you can’t go back to the way things once were. This is the time to really get out and explore everything you ever wanted to. It is a crucial time to figure out who you are and who you want to be. It’s these small fragments or moments in college that can change your life forever. So appreciate the time you are here and use it to its full advantage.