By Javier Rodriguez |Staff Writer|
From the beautiful sunny shores of Oahu, Hawaii, to the California Coast, comes Coyote Women’s Soccer Captain Jill Seminara.
A Hawaiian native, Seminara journeyed in 2010 to the mainland to attend Cal State University San Bernardino on a soccer scholarship.
While some might wonder why anyone would leave an island paradise, Seminara says she is absolutely loving her experience here on the mainland.
Seminara was born and raised in Pearl City, HI, where she played four years of varsity soccer and graduated from Pearl City High School (PCHS) in 2009.
In her time at PCHS she was named, “Most Outstanding Player,” and received an honorable mention from All-State and OIA West All-Stars.
She’s no slouch here either. Although she sustained an injury to her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and was forced to redshirt in 2013, she is back on the field, playing with a vengeance.
“My experience on the women’s soccer team has been incredible,” Seminara coninued, “every girl on the team is unique and extraordinary in their own way and the team has grown even closer and closer since my freshman year. This has made us into one big family.”
Seminara said, “the only draw back is that every year we lose some of our family and gain new members, but we make sure that they understand what it means to be on this team. We have each other’s backs no matter what.”
This soccer family is winning games. Currently, the team ranks 3rd in the West Region and is 12-3 overall, 5-3 CCAA.
Seminara, the youngest of three, was interested in sports and beach-related activities from a young age.
She has two older brothers who encouraged her to not only be highly competitive, but also to stay focused on her studies.
Seminara will graduate this fall with her bachelor’s degree in Public Health. She has not yet decided on her career path but says, “that decision will come after graduation. Right now I’m focused on winning!”
In addition to playing soccer, Seminara enjoys her classes here at CSUSB and said, “the majority of the professors I’ve had here have had a positive impact on my life. They are always so helpful and willing to go out of their way when I needed it,” Seminara also likes to give back to the community by volunteering and works as a student assistant in the Services to Students With Disabilities office.
As far as whether she will return to Hawaii after graduation, Jill says she most definitely will return home, but not right away. She plans to spend a little more time in the Golden State before she heads back.
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