Many athletes choose to not further their athletic careers beyond high school, but some students decide to continue playing their sport in college. Jenna Smith and Sam Everson are two of the seniors that signed to play a sport in college. Jenna is going to Mount St. Joseph to continue her academic and softball career, and Sam is going to Bluffton to continue his academic and football career.

Getting to play a sport in college takes extra effort and dedication. “It just took a lot of hard work off of the field, such as going to camps, talking to coaches, and trying to promote yourself and your ability,” says Sam. Sam has been playing football for six years and plays offensive line. He feels very excited that he has the opportunity to go to Bluffton University to do what he loves. “[Bluffton] really made me feel wanted and they were super excited to have me on campus for the visits. Plus, they have a really good program for my selected major,” explains Sam. 

Jenna Smith has been playing softball for twelve years and has played shortstop for the varsity softball team since her freshman year. She is committed to Mount St. Joseph, where she will continue to play softball. “It’s a smaller school, which I like because smaller class sizes mean you get more one-on-one attention from your professor,” says Jenna. Jenna will be majoring in criminology for the next four years: “In four years, I hope to be a senior in college and about to graduate, and hopefully have a job lined up in my future.”

We wish EHS’s signing athletes all the best — the future seems bright as the following seniors prepare to head off to college this fall:

Ashton Arvin, Mt. St. Joseph, Football

Olivia Brown, Olivet Nazarene, Cheer

Chloe Butler, Edison State, Basketball

Sam Everson, Bluffton, Football

Aaron Frazier, Heidelberg, Basketball

Emily Miller, ONU, Women’s Lacrosse

Jenna Smith, Mt. St. Joseph, Softball

Conner Kenney, Wilmington, Baseball

Jon Testas, Heidelberg, Football

Mason Whiteley, I.U. Kokomo, Baseball