#D3Week feature: Elly Aronson, women's soccer
Every year, NCAA Division III institutions across the country participate in Division III Week. To celebrate this week, we will bring you a new profile every day that gives a glimpse into the life of Chapman's student-athletes. These student-athletes' accomplishments reach well beyond the field, court or pool that they compete in.
Our week-long celebration continues with women's soccer student-athlete and philanthropist Elly Aronson. In addition to playing a critical role on the soccer field, Elly is involved in many philanthropic activities and aspires to be use film as a tool to inspire others into her giving lifestyle.
What does being a Division III student-athlete mean to you?
Being a Division III athlete means so much to me. Not only do I get to continue playing the game I love at a high competitive level, I am able to participate in other activities and clubs that interest me because the Division III structure allows me to balance athletics with my other interests. In addition to soccer, I am a part of The Players' Society which is a theatre group on campus. I am on the board as the philanthropy chair and I am so grateful for the opportunities to serve people in the community. Being a Division III athlete has also allowed me to contribute more of my time to my education and future career. I have found the perfect balance of school, athletics, and social activities which has allowed me to gain more experiences, meet more people, and grow as a person. At Division III, you aren't being paid to play, you play because you truly love the game and that shows on the team. I take pride in representing Chapman on and off the field and wouldn't want to trade the experience I have had so far with this team.
What are your goals for the final two years of your college career? On the field and off the field.
On the field, my goal is to grow into the best player and person I can be. Each season I work to be a better player, teammate, and leader. I want to score more goals, make more assists, and contribute to more wins for the team. I want to leave knowing I made a positive impact on the team whether that's playing or off the field and I hope to inspire my teammates in some way.
In my final two years off the field, my goal is to find what makes me happy and pursue it. My goal in life is to make documentaries to tell people's stories and bring awareness to different social issues. My goal is to make the most of my final two years and leave Chapman with the knowledge I need to succeed.
Tell us about some of your philanthropy work and how your teammates have supported you in some of those activities.
I have always had a passion to help and serve others because there was a point in my life where I was the one who needed the help. I am fortunate to be in a position where I can feed my passion. Being on the soccer team has given me amazing opportunities to give back. I helped organize a soccer camp for high risk kids in Orange, I am currently on the leadership team for our Team Impact player, Sophia, and every day I am with my team, I try to incorporate small acts of kindness to give back to them. My teammates are some of the best women I have ever met and they deserve the absolute best so I try my hardest every day to make them smile. I am so lucky to have teammates who support me in every way. My teammates show support by coming to the philanthropy events and by telling me that they are proud. They may not realize it but they encourage and inspire me every day to keep doing what I do, because I can see that they appreciate it.
How has playing soccer in college helped you achieve some of your goals?
Playing soccer in college as help me move towards my goals as it has helped me grow mentally, emotionally, and physically. Like in high school, being part of a competitive soccer team requires me to be very focused and carefully manage my time so that I can accomplish my various interests and goals as well as performed in all of them to the best of my ability. This mindset has contributed to me achieving the goals I have set for myself in the classroom and on the field. The Chapman soccer team has also reinforced the importance of teamwork which I have used to accomplish many things in my life. Playing college soccer continues to provide me with ways to grow as a person and challenge myself which has motivated me to be the best I can be.
What has been your favorite memory from your first couple of years at Chapman?
It is extremely hard to pick one favorite memory from Chapman because I have been given so many great opportunities and have learned a lot during my first two years here. One of the best memories I have from soccer is when my entire team ran onto the field after beating Pomona-Pitzer in the 2016 SCIAC semi-finals. Watching my entire team come together that day and beat an undefeated team was one of the best feelings. It reminded me of why I love the sport so much, and it's because of the people. Soccer has allowed me to meet some of the most inspirational and amazing people I know and I'm looking forward to the next two years with these amazing women.