What motivates you?
One of my big philosophies is just – I know it is really cheesy – living life to the fullest. I try to remind myself every day that nothing is guaranteed and nothing lasts. For me, that’s just my mentality so that pushes me to give everything at every moment. You’re not guaranteed the next moment – I know it’s a morbid way of thinking but that motivates me to be a good person, to be happy and to work hard all of the time. That really transitions into soccer because for me, after I hurt my knee, it’s one of those things that helps ground you. No matter how hard you work or what you’re doing something could always happen. Right before that happened I felt like I was in the best shape of my life. I felt great and then all of a sudden it was all taken away. That’s a very mild example, but you can take that in life and say you just don’t know what will happen.
Who are your heroes?
I would say my heroes are my parents. They’re very hardworking people and I inherited that. When I was a kid I would watch them work really hard but at the end of the day they would still put a smile on, joke around and be happy. The way that they lived their lives is something I have always aspired to. Whenever something is going wrong they always put things in perspective. When I got hurt you expect people to feel bad for you. My mom was very comforting but she also told me that I had a few days to be upset and then after that I had to let it go and start to work towards getting better. She’s like, you’re not going to get anywhere feeling sorry for yourself. Just by their attitude, their way of living is something that makes them heroes to me.
Who would play you in a biopic?
Somebody sarcastic like Kristen Wiig.
What is your favorite book?
I love reading so this is really hard to pick just one. Not too long ago I read Way of the Peaceful Warrior, it easily became one of my favorite books. There’s another book titled the Alchemist and those are my top two.
What is the first song you sing at karaoke?
I probably wouldn’t sing, but if I was forced to I would sing an R&B song. Those are the ones I know the best, maybe an old school Usher song.
If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life what would that be?
Mexican food, 100 percent. The issue is picking an actual meal. I would want something with chips and guacamole on the side and probably tacos. It has to be legit Mexican food. It’s tough to find that in Houston, I’m sorry. Houston has Tex-Mex and that’s nice. Mexican food is what I love to eat, it is my guilty pleasure. If I had to pick something that wasn’t my guilty pleasure it would be chicken, vegetables.
If you could have one superpower, what would that be and what would you do with it?
Read minds, for sure. I love analyzing people so it would make it a lot easier. I would just try to help people with it. I majored in psychology and that’s something I want to do. I want to be a counselor after soccer so I would try to use it that way. I like knowing how people think.
If you were stuck on an island, what two teammates do you want to have with you?
That’s hard. Probably B[ianca Henninger], she’s very easy going and smart. I’ve known her the longest and it’s very easy to be around her. I feel like [Re]becca [Moros] would be good for survival and she’s very smart.
What is the next destination you want to visit for a holiday?
I always want to say home but I’ll pick something different. Lake Tahoe, probably, it is one of my favorite places. I’m usually a beach person but that is the one mountain area I love. It’s beautiful and so peaceful. That’s probably the place where I’m most relaxed.
Describe your perfect day.
I’d start my day with coffee and a good breakfast. Probably avocado toast, that’s my favorite. I probably just go and do something active. I love being outdoors. If I was in Lake Tahoe I would go to the lake or anywhere else I would just go to the beach and spend time with friends and family. I would say that’s my number one day.
What are some of your goals for the next 5-10 years?
Keep playing as long as I can and keep improving as a player. I love what I do and am so thankful to have the opportunity to travel and meet so many amazing people while playing. After soccer, I'd like to find a way to help people whether that's through coaching, or going back to school to be able to work in the field of psychology.
