Rachel Chen

Rachel Chen said she’s played soccer since fourth grade, but has never quite settled on a position. “I started off as a midfielder or a wing,” she said. “Sometimes I would play forward, usually attacking center forward, or left or right forward.” That versatility would go on to help playing for Shenendehowa High School. “We’ve developed a style of play at Shenendehowa that means we have to be adaptable,” she said. “A lot of us play a lot of different positions, so the position I’m playing is often dependent on the opponent we’re playing. I’ve played almost everywhere offensively.”

Her speed and versatility were also an asset in her other sport, track & field. Chen broke school records in the long jump and the 4×55 shuttle hurdle relay, qualifying for state meets multiple times. Chen said she enjoys jumping the most because of how technical the event is. “My favorite event is definitely the long jump because it’s not just about speed,” she said. “I can make a lot of little adjustments to make my approach better. It’s about hitting the board right, getting your steps down, and getting your landing down.”

Unfortunately, Chen wasn’t able to compete in her favorite event her senior season. A torn ACL that she suffered during soccer season threatened to end her high school athletic career. But Chen was determined to at least get back on the track before graduation. “I started running about three to four months after surgery,” she said. “I wasn’t cleared to compete, but I could train with the team.” Six months to the day after her surgery, Chen returned to competition. She said taking a few months off sports gave her a new perspective. “It made me more determined to chase after my goals,” she said. “I wasn’t as grateful for the opportunity to compete because I had never gotten an injury before.”

Chen will have the opportunity to compete again in college when she studies at MIT. While competing for the track & field team, Chen said she hopes to study mechanical engineering and eventually become an architect. “I don’t have to choose a major until the end of my freshman year,” she said. “But I could definitely see myself doing architecture after I interned with a local firm this year.”

For as much as Chen studies different soccer tactics and long jumping technique, she applies the same effort to her schoolwork. Chen graduated Shenendehowa as the valedictorian of a class with more than 700 students. She says being a student-athlete actually helped her manage her time better. “Sports helped me be more disciplined,” she said. “It increased my time management skills. I would often be coming home late after practice or traveling to meets on the weekends. I really had to learn how to use every little bit of free time I had during lunch, before practice, and after practice.”

But as a star athlete and a star student, Chen isn’t content to just succeed herself. In her time at Shenendehowa, Chen has taken it upon herself to help her fellow students find success in school and athletics as well. Those around Chen know her as someone who regularly mentored students in their schoolwork as well as in soccer and track & field. “She is a natural leader who inspires her peers with her humility, kindness, and unwavering determination,” said Holli Nirsberger, Shenendehowa soccer coach.

Chen said she felt honored that her academic and athletic efforts were recognized in earning this award. “I’m truly honored to receive this award,” she said. “Being recognized alongside such inspiring young women means a lot to me and serves as a reminder that the effort I’ve put in over the years hasn’t gone unnoticed. I’m especially grateful to my parents, coaches, teachers, teammates, and friends who have supported me every step of the way.”