On Jan. 12, the Greenhill Athletic and College Counseling Departments held a virtual discussion panel where upper school students and parents learned about the college recruiting process from alumni who are current collegiate athletes.    

The panel featured Josie Arbuckle ’24, Zoe Dzialowski ’24, Jason Estrada ’22 and Lane Herbert ’21. Alumni discussed balancing academics with demanding practice schedules, adjusting to a higher level of play, and navigating recruiting tools available to Greenhill athletes.  

The webinar was led and organized by upper school college counselors Jenny Fisher and Peter Olympia, along with the head of athletics, Jarrett Shine.  

Faculty and staff said that they felt pride for the alumni for sharing their experiences.  

“We are so proud of each and every one of you,” Shine said during the panel.  

Herbert, who recently graduated from Northwestern University, where she played field hockey, shared what the experience was like balancing sports along with obtaining a premedical undergraduate degree. 

“Sports are really demanding, and you need to make sure you have your head above water before you add things to your plate,” Herbert said. “It took me almost my entire freshman year to figure out how to balance everything.” 

Arbuckle, a sophomore swimmer at University of California, Los Angeles, reflected on the mental side of competition.  

“I’ve learned that our mind and how we talk to ourselves is our greatest asset in life,” Arbuckle said. “The way you speak to yourself can make or break your performance, and having powerful belief in yourself is the number one indicator of success.” 

The session mainly offered insight into the lives of collegiate athletes as well as what the process of becoming one looks like. 

“College sports can be incredibly rewarding,” Shine said. “Especially when you find the right opportunity, the right fit.”