Alumni spotlight: Gretchen Waechter '21 lights up Lafayette

Taking the opportunity to play sports can help you, not only in the moment, but teach you skills that can be used for a lifetime. On average, only about 7% of high school athletes go on to play collegiately and roughly 2% of those students go on to play in the Division 1 level. In this new Alumni Series, we interview Friends Academy alumna from the class of 2021, Gretchen Waechter, who shares her experience playing at the next level.

"I would not have been able to achieve my goal of becoming a Division 1 athlete without the supportive community at Friends Academy," stated Gretchen Waechter and recent alumna from the Class of 2021 about her experience at Friends. "From both an academic and athletic standpoint, all of my teachers and coaches always put their students/athletes as their top priority, doing anything to help them succeed."  

The Sea Cliff native played soccer at both Friends Academy and also at Gold Coast FC and East Meadow Club – an avid soccer player, to say the least. Gretchen also played basketball while at Friends. Her initial interest in wanting to play in the Patriot League ultimately led Gretchen to Lafayette College in Easton, PA.  Lafayette resembled Friends in more ways than one. "Lafayette was essentially just a bigger Friends Academy," said Gretchen, which would still have been one of her choices had she decided not to pursue collegiate athletics. 

As an Economics major, academics are as equally important to Gretchen as athletics. While many students upon entering college can go through an adjustment period, for Gretchen, that came easier than expected. Explaining how Friends prepared her for her college classes, Gretchen pointed to FA's rigorous academic and athletic routine, which prepared her for Lafayette's similar structure and pace, further easing her adjustment. 

If she were to look back and give her high-school self any advice, Gretchen reflected that she'd say to "believe in yourself and to not worry so much about college – enjoy the present moments." For current Friends players, Gretchen urges them to always do the extra work, "because the small things over time add up." She says especially, "Even if you do commit to play in college, that’s when it starts and it is time to step it up to prepare for the work to come."