Here at Pingree over 20% of the senior class is committed to playing a sport over Divisions 1, 2, and 3. The college counseling office is one of the school’s most helpful offices for seniors and juniors looking to find the next step in their educational and/or athletic career.
JK Park, a Pingree college counselor, stated, “My job is also to connect with coaches who might want information on different athletes.” The college counselors meet with different students to help find the right fit for them for the next four years.
Junior Isla Cleveland has been making waves for the girls lacrosse team since her freshman year. Cleveland was an Eastern Independent League (EIL) All League and an All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention for the 2023-2024 season. After winning Rookie of the Year in 2022, Isla has committed to play Division 1 lacrosse at Lehigh University starting in 2026.
A player for the lacrosse club Laxachusetts, Cleveland has not only been focusing on playing Division 1 lacrosse but also on her academics. After meeting with the college counseling office and talking about what would be the best fit for her, she started thinking about how her grades would factor into her choice.
“The college counseling office helped tell me what schools might be a better fit academically based on grades, but not lacrosse,” said Cleveland. At Pingree, the college counseling office is not focused on whether students are good enough at a certain sport, but rather, whether their grades are up to par.
Cleveland also had some help from former Dartmouth coach and now assistant coach at Middlebury.
Caroline Lemos, a EIL All-League, All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention and Hobart and William Smith commit, is one of the captains for the Pingree varsity field hockey team and has been one of the best field players for the Highlanders over the past three years.
Lemos had a good relationship with her college counselor, Nick Soodik, the director of the college counseling office. “As I got closer to committing and receiving offers, Mr. Soodik began to really help me narrow down my choices,” said Lemos.
She also said that she wanted to find a balance between field hockey, academics, and other interests, and the college counseling office really helped her narrow down her choices. Lemos says that her interests like studying abroad and visual arts were a must in finding the perfect college.
Senior Aby Amigo is one of the top lacrosse goalies in the EIL girls lacrosse league and was an All League Honorable mention for the 2023-2024 season. Aby is the starting goalie for the Highlanders and made multiple saves per game last year, keeping her team undefeated for the 2024 season. She was also the Offensive MVP and All League Honorable Mention for the 2023-2024 girls varsity hockey season, but chose to pursue her lacrosse skills in college. Aby committed to play Division 2 lacrosse at Saint Michael’s College last summer.
Instead of using the Pingree college office, Aby used her club coaches at HGR lacrosse to help her get more attention from colleges and universities. Aby explained, “Since students don’t start working with the college office directly until the end of junior year, many athletes commit before they have the chance to work with the college advisors”
Aby pointed out that students who are not looking to commit work with the college counseling offices during their junior and senior years. However, athletes who are looking to commit usually get help from their club coaches and high school coaches.
Athletes have many different approaches to try and get looks from colleges and universities. But no matter how you achoose to proceed, the Pingree college counseling office is a great resource.
