May 11, 2023
“The thing I love about soccer is the commitment. It’s always been there for me when I’ve been down.” Jahzara (Jahz) Middleton said. She is committed to play soccer at Oakton Community College. Jahz started playing soccer at 10 years old in Belize and her love for the sport only grew as she came to the United States at 14. Playing soccer for Evanston has helped Jahz make unforgettable memories, mostly due to her teammates.
“My favorite thing about the Evanston team is the communication we’ve been able to build as a team. From blasting music on the bus to playing challenging games, we’ve always worked together.”
While she never anticipated playing in college, it was a welcome surprise. “For me, the recruitment process was easy. The Oakton coach reached out to me and came to one of my games to see what I had. After that we stayed in touch, leading to my commitment.”
Jahz has a unique perspective to the college application and recruitment process due to her citizen status. Since she isn’t a United States citizen she doesn’t qualify for FAFSA, and therefore doesn’t get any financial aid to help pay for college. Fortunately the Oakton Coach, Tristram Bisgrove, guided her through the process of making college affordable.
“The Oakton coach helped me understand my financial aid as an undocumented student. He helped me get scholarships, allowing me to afford college.” Jahz said.
Jahz has dreams of being a pilot and believes that the discipline she has learned through soccer will only help her in her future career.
“Going to college is going to make me a better player. Doing what I love and getting my degree at the same time will help me on the field.” Jahz concluded.
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