Athlete of the Issue: Michaela Ferrario
Michaela Ferrario ’20 is an incredible soccer player, articulate philosophy enthusiast, and self-proclaimed ‘nerd’ whose thoughtful and positive comments light up every classroom.
Michaela started playing soccer when she was around four or five years old. “All of the children in my neighborhood used to gather at our local field every Saturday morning to kick a ball around, run across the grass with our shirts pulled over our heads, and make silly faces with orange slices afterwards,” she shares, joking “needless to say, we weren’t very good.” Now, Michaela trains with her team two to three times a week, works with a weight trainer, and plays one or two games every weekend. Playing soccer pre-professionally has taught her far more than how to kick a soccer ball. “I have learned a vast array of lessons ranging from how to communicate with others and manage deviant personalities in a high stress environment to how to win and lose graciously,” she reflects, adding that soccer has led her to meet some of her best friends and to gain contacts from all over the country. After graduating from OHS, Michaela will be attending and playing soccer for Cornell University. “Go Big Red!”
For Michaela, the biggest challenge in balancing school and soccer was keeping up with academics when traveling, particularly for out-of-state games. “I have had to learn to organize my assignments ahead of time and to set my alarm early and sneak down to the lobby for pre-breakfast study sessions,” she says. Travel has its upsides, too. She appreciates the opportunity to play with and against boys and girls from around the world, including Brazil, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Sweden. “Irrespective of how dissimilar our backgrounds are, we are all able to share in and enjoy this beautiful game with each other. I think there’s something really special and remarkable about that — sports really do defy boundaries!”
Beyond soccer, Michaela admits, “I’m definitely a nerd.” She reads everything from historical fiction to dystopia, and loves to write, particularly poetry. She was drawn to OHS three years ago by its combination of a flexible schedule, necessary for her athletic pursuits, and top tier academics that would enhance her depth of thought in preparation for university and beyond. When asked about her favorite courses, she gushes, “I have loved the Core sequence here at OHS! These courses have challenged me to critically assess components of my worldview that I have long taken for granted.” She reflects that in doing so, “they have pushed me to become not only a better student, but a better person and member of society.”
Looking back at her time on OHS, Michaela notes that OHS opened her eyes to a multitude of subjects that she wouldn’t have been exposed to at other high schools, teaching her to seek challenges and to not take anything for granted. If she could give one piece of advice to younger students, “I would say to love and cherish your time here at OHS.” While OHS can be stressful and, at times, socially isolating, “we are all so fortunate to be in a position where we have the time and space to contemplate, question, and challenge our own values and beliefs and to pursue our academic and extracurricular passions.”
What are some things that people might not know about Michaela? “Watching The Bachelor is my guilty pleasure, I am obsessed with journaling and inspirational quotes, and I want to be a lawyer when I’m older,” she says. In addition, Michaela joined OHS’s Bible Study group this year. “Being a part of this club has enabled me to grow both in my relationship with God and in my relationship with the larger OHS community. I am so thankful for everyone in this club and for the example of respect, acceptance, and faith that they have set and that they continue to uphold.”