Cicero Prep Athletes Sign to Play in College

It was a moment full of cheers at Cicero Prep as family, friends, and teammates came together to celebrate three student-athletes officially signing their letter of intent to play their sport at the collegiate level. The signing day ceremony celebrated seniors Mirabella Medina, Jaclyn Stone, and Samantha Atwood, three high school volleyball players who turned their passion for the game into an opportunity to compete at the next level.

“This is such a big moment for these three,” shared Jacob Kelty, the Athletic Director at Cicero Prep. “It’s actually the largest signing class we’ve ever had here at Cicero, and that makes it even more exciting.”

Medina is headed to Penn State Hazelton, where she’ll play Libero and Defensive Specialist. “My coach is very nice, and she taught me a bunch of the basics,” she said. “I grew a lot as a player and a person.”

Stone will be playing beach volleyball at Arizona Christian University. “I started playing indoor volleyball, actually, in middle school, and I wasn’t the best at it,” she laughed. “It took a while to be able to kind of enjoy and appreciate the sport. I started beach volleyball freshman year, and I actually really enjoyed that and decided to play club and stick with it, and I figured out last summer [that it] was actually something I could play in my future.”

Atwood is taking her talents to Justice University, where she’ll likely play middle blocker. “Cicero is where I started volleyball. Where I fell in love with volleyball,” she said. “And winning two championships definitely helped along the way. Definitely gave me a big push towards going to college for it.”

As the three athletes signed their letters, the room filled with applause from their groups of supporters. It was a proud moment not just for them, but for everyone who has been part of their high school athletic careers, from coaches and teammates to their teachers and family.

“I am so excited for these girls, added Kelty. “And I’m excited to go watch them in college.”

Do you have a story or know of one that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.

Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/.