Only about 6% of high school athletes will go on to play college athletics, but many dream of the chance to play the sport they love at that higher level. For 25 North Penn seniors, that dream became a reality on Monday.

“This day is really special, to have 25 athletes that came up and participated in North Penn and wore the columbia and blue, to see them go on into college and continue to represent North Penn, we’re really proud of them,” Principal Kyle Hassler said.

In front of their families and coaches, all the students spoke about their college choices, their other options, and how they ultimately came to their decision.

“I ultimately chose Kutztown because they’re starting their men’s program once again, so I would be the second class to come back and I think it’s cool to start a culture,” Nevin Shaw, Kutztown swim and dive commit shared.

Team culture plays a big role in North Penn athletics and athletes emphasized the importance of continuing that culture at the colleges they chose.

“I chose Wilkes University because their atmosphere and their team, I just really loved both,” Wilkes soccer commit Izzy Kee mentioned.

“I ultimately chose University of Buffalo because of the amazing team atmosphere that would allow me to not only succeed in soccer but also as a person,” soccer commit Maddy Murphy said.

Being able to commit to a college is an aspiration for many high school athletes, and finally achieving that goal is a monumental accomplishment.

Jackson Kelley was a part of the Knights baseball team’s back-to-back appearances in the state tournament.“It means a lot, ever since I was a kid I dreamed of playing college baseball. I was not always the best player on the team, not always on the best team; it’s been a really long journey, it’s been a lot of sacrifices, a lot of commitment and a lot of hard work and I’m just grateful for where I am today and all the people that helped me get here,” Kelley remarked.

Garnering first-team all-conference honors, Laura Albert led the Knights field hockey team to a district playoff berth. “Committing provides you with a sense of security because all of my peers are committing to their school academically in March, April, and May, so going into my senior year committed is a stress-reliever, and it’s off my shoulders so I can focus on really enjoying the moment,” Albert said.

Nevin Shaw posted an 8th-place finish in the state meet in the 100-yard breaststroke. “The journey was daunting at first because you had to go through a few hurdles but at the end of the day the coaches really helped you out along with all my teammates. Don’t get scared by the journey and live every moment,” Shaw added.

These 25 student-athletes have put countless hours into their craft that is sure to pay off in their futures, with their commitments being the start of a new chapter in their careers. 

Full list of the 25 signing day athletes below:

Laura Albert – Bloomsburg University (Field Hockey)

Mady Archer – Marymount University (Softball)

Kevin Brace – Lehigh University (Baseball)

Luigi Cardona – Pennsylvania College of Technology (Lacrosse)

Maddie Cimino – Moravian University (Soccer)

Mason Coyne – Thomas Jefferson University (Baseball)

Kelsey Danko – Arcadia University (Lacrosse)

Maddy Faikish – Notre Dame University (Swimming)

Kathryn Harkins – Millersville University (Lacrosse)

Conor Howard – Marymount University (Lacrosse)

Jana Jovanic – Rutgers University – Camden (Volleyball)

Chase Jones – West Chester University (Baseball)

Izzy Kee – Wilkes University (Soccer)

Jackson Kelley – Elizabethtown College (Baseball)

CJ Kronmiller – DeSales University (Lacrosse)

Tyler Kronmiller – DeSales University (Lacrosse)

Trevor Lugara – Bloomsburg University (Baseball)

Lily McGee – Immaculata University (Soccer)

Maddy Murphy – SUNY University at Buffalo (Soccer)

Caiden Myers – Pace University (Lacrosse)

Elias Panachyda – University of Massachusetts Amherst (Swimming)

Rhyan Poole – Widener University (Field Hockey)

Mikayla Potts – East Stroudsburg University (Swimming)

Nevin Shaw – Kutztown University (Swimming)

Zoe Welsh – Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Swimming)