Class of 2016 Graduate: Jasmine Paterson

Jasmine Paterson is a forward on the University of Miami soccer team from Key Largo, Fla., and is graduating this weekend with a degree in criminology, so we caught up with her prior to her big day.

This summer/fall I plan to join a team in Europe and playing pro for a while.

Playing for the Hurricanes soccer team was an incredible experience that has allowed me to grow in so many ways, as well as make unforgettable friends throughout the years. I honestly wouldn’t have wanted to spend my last four years anywhere else.

In four years at Miami, I have been able to develop not only as an athlete, but a student and person as well, learning how to cope with different circumstances and understand different perspectives.

One of my best memories of my time at Miami was having a feature in David Beckham’s documentary, obvi!

A professor at Miami who I really enjoyed has to be a tie between Professor Marvin Dawkins and Professor Jan Sokol-Katz. I really admire and respect both professors and the knowledge I learned from them was so valuable and really stuck with me.

Coach Mary-Frances Monroe impacted me by teaching me how to persevere through adversity. Learning to overcome certain obstacles seemed to be a theme my senior year and because of it I’ve become a stronger person.

In five years, I hope to be making bank and/or doing something I’m truly passionate about. I have aspirations of playing professionally and then joining the police academy in hopes of becoming a detective one day.