From the moment her feet first touched the grassy green to the resounding thud as her foot collided with the ball midair, Alexis Loera ’21, M.S. ’21 knew playing soccer was her goal in life. “When I step on the field I can just forget about everything that may be going on in life and just play” Loera says. That enviable level of mindfulness served her well at Santa Clara, where she was a member of the 2020 NCAA women’s soccer national championship team. She went pro with the Kansas City Current and just signed a new three-year contract, putting Loera another step closer to playing with the U.S. Women’s National Team.