For most juniors, the college process is just beginning. However, for junior Cat Taxiarchis, the process ended in late February with her commitment to play lacrosse at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania.

Taxiarchis has been playing lacrosse since she was six years old and immediately knew it was something she wanted to pursue at the collegiate level.

“All I did [in elementary school] was travel around the country with my dad to watch college [lacrosse] games and could always see myself playing in college,” Taxiarchis said. “I always took the sport pretty seriously, and then around middle school, the idea [of playing in college] was super solidified.”

Taxiarchis is one of the few juniors who have already committed to a college through a sport. Going through junior year while also trying to commit to a college was stressful for Taxiarchis.

“The college process academically as a junior wasn’t that fun,” Taxiarchis said. “I had to stay on top of my grades and make sure they were always good as college coaches were [reviewing] them every day. Adding this on top of a really stressful junior year was definitely a lot to handle.”

Not only did Taxiarchis have to worry about keeping her grades up, she also had to focus on the demanding recruiting process that came with applying to college for sports.

“The recruitment process is filled with a ton of work,” Taxiarchis said.  “Emailing coaches constantly, sending out film, getting your name out there and keeping grades up is all part of it. I was reaching out to so many coaches in the beginning and then narrowed it down when I would get responses back.”

Once Taxiarchis chose which colleges she was the most interested in, she began to meet coaches and teams and attend college tours. It was during this process that Taxiarchis realized that she loved Franklin & Marshall.

“As soon as I met the coach in person and got on campus, I knew that Franklin & Marshall was for me,” Taxiarchis said. “It took me only a few days to accept the offer.”

Taxiarchis is one of the few juniors who has already committed to college, so she gets the joy of not having to stress about college during her senior year.

“I won’t have to worry during my senior year, and I can enjoy some stress-free time now that this whole process is over,” Taxiarchis said. “I’m extremely thankful that it’s over, and I’m super happy with where I’ve landed.”