Hillary Rosenzweig '10: Women's Soccer
Sophomore Hillary Rosenzweig is a native of Boca Raton, Florida. She has backboned the Brandeis women's soccer team to their last two ECAC championships, including their first-ever title in 2007. 1) What has been the highlight of your athletic career so far?
The highlight of my Brandeis athletic career is winning the ECAC championship this past fall. It was the first ECAC victory in school history for women’s soccer. As a keeper it was an honor to be part of a team that did not give up a goal in the tournament. We played out best soccer of the year and truly came together as a team.
The highlight of my athletic career in a whole would be playing in the Aberdeen Classic finals in Aberdeen Scotland. We played in front of a crowd of people from Germany, South America, Scotland, America and Norway. It was an incredible feeling. We ended up scoring a late goal for the victory and the crowd exploded, screaming “USA, USA.”
2) What makes your team special?
The Brandeis University Women’s soccer team is truly special. We take an eclectic group of girls from across the country and form them into a family. I know I can depend on each and every one of the girls both on and off the field. On the field we play as a cohesive unit. We all enjoy each other’s company but are also able to mesh with the outside Brandeis community.
3) How do your experiences on the court translate to the class room/world?
My parents have always said they wish they could put a soccer net behind me at all times. Soccer has taught me how to remain committed and dedicated to something. It has taught me how to be responsible for my actions. I have learned so much from my experiences playing soccer. I have changed not only physically but mentally as well. When I was younger I was a shy, overweight, out of shape girl who would let anyone step all over her. Soccer has taught me to stand up for myself, and get physically fit. Soccer has taught me how to manage my time well, having to balance both schoolwork and practices. Looking back I would not be the person I am today if I had not played soccer.
4) What is your favorite class and why?
One of my favorite classes I’ve taken at Brandeis is East Asia Civilization. The professor (H. Parker James.) was extremely energetic and truly loved what he did. He knew an incredible amount about Asia and his enthusiasm for the subject showed in his lectures. The course combined two of my favorite subjects history and art history. As a class we went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and explored the world of Chinese and Japanese Art. The professor’s zeal for the subject matter made it that much more interesting.
5) What is your favorite non-athletic activity at Brandeis and why?
One of my favorite aspects of Brandeis is that its extracurricular events are aimed at bringing the Brandeis community together. Dances such as Pachanga bring a wide range of students together to enjoy an evening of dancing and fun. Yearly concerts also bring students together who might not hang out with each other. It is just fun to see a different mix of people in one place.
6) What are your aspirations after Brandeis?
After Brandeis I will most likely return to Florida and enter law school. Law’s something that I have always been interested in pursuing, and Florida is a nice, warm place to do that.
7) What is something surprising we might not know about you?
When I was little my grandparents used to take care of me. When it came to feeding time they would continuously feed me baby food. I would never appear to be full so they would continue to feed me the baby food. They would line up the bottles to show to my parents when they came home. The bottles would fill up my high chair tray table. One of the reasons I play soccer was that I would stop eating all day, however I still love food.