University of North Carolina Athletics
My Carolina Experience: Paige Nielsen
November 19, 2014 | Women's Soccer
My Carolina Experience: Paige Nielsen
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
“I'd been working to go to my dream school and I did it, and I had been working to earn a scholarship for my Mom's sake and I did that. It's really cool that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.” These are the words of Paige Nielsen, whose Carolina experience can be summed up almost entirely in that statement.
Her decision to play at Carolina was not filled with promises of anything but opportunity, yet she rose above and beyond her boundaries to attain her dreams.
“I was getting recruited in the eighth grade by Nebraska and other schools in the Midwest but there was nothing from Carolina. I was thinking about committing to the other offers but my Mom was like, 'Hold on, remember your dream.' So the next summer I went to Carolina Soccer Camp to see if there was a chance and it turned out that (coach) Anson Dorrance actually liked me.
“I came back the next year, and by that time I was getting recruited by more schools. That 10th grade year he pulled me into his office and asked me if I'd like to play at UNC. We then talked about the money situation because he didn't have any to offer me, but he told me I could earn a scholarship.”
For many, this is where their Carolina experience would have ended, but Nielsen knew that if she truly wanted to be great the Carolina women's soccer program would provide her the best opportunity to do so and the education she would receive along with it was something she had to take advantage of.
Three years after enrolling at Carolina her hard work has been rewarded by increased playing time, a starting spot on several occasions and a partial athletic scholarship. But that is not all.
Nielsen came to Carolina thinking about the term student-athlete and what it meant to put the student part first. “I was originally planning on going to med school and becoming some kind of doctor because I was good at science and math and my father has always said I have a gift for helping people. Another motivator for my medical ambitions was my Mom. She had lymphoma so I'm super interested in that type of research and stem cell transplants as well.”
As Nielsen continued to find new interests at UNC she discovered another passion. “I thought I would take a few business school prerequisites and found that those classes just came naturally to me, so I made it a new goal to get into the business school. Now that I am enrolled there, the combination of all of my experiences at UNC has inspired me to want to make women more important in the finance world.
“I had an internship with Wells Fargo where we financially advised professional athletes and I loved it. The competitive culture in investment banking inspires me to compete with top individuals the same way being a part of Carolina women's soccer does. Right out of college, if I don't play pro overseas, I might try to get into investment banking for a couple years and that will either lead me to more finance opportunities or get me enough money for medical school.”
When it came to balancing her ambitions for academic and athletic success Nielsen mentioned the family atmosphere of her team and how they have always made her feel comforted and kept her driven. “The coaches would do anything for us and the girls are like my sisters.
“You'd think that at a school with so much tradition and history that this would be a very hard program but it is just the opposite. Our job as a part of the team is to live our core values, which really focuses on growth as a person, and then plays right into becoming a better soccer player. The core values system basically puts the responsibility on us to mature and to make good choices and to be the best you can be. That environment is so cool, it creates an atmosphere where you can't stop working and that translates into every part of your experience.
“Even outside of our sport, everyone cares about you as an individual and about how that plays into Carolina as a whole. Being a part of this wholesome culture has really led me to enjoy my time here. We all look out for each other and want each other to succeed.”
Through her progress and triumphs, Nielsen stands as a testament to what character can help you achieve with the right resources. Her Carolina experience was initially filled with hurdles and boundaries, which Nielsen has used hard work and dedication to shatter.
The junior forward started out as another talented face in the crowd but made it her mission to leave a mark on the program and in Carolina's athletic community. That is exactly what she has done. Her advice for those who might feel the Carolina experience is too overwhelming is, “Take every opportunity and run with it. Carolina gives you so much more than just what your sport does for you. Coming to Carolina you learn so much more than how to become a better athlete and that's the general feel here.
“I wasn't the best individual on my club team before I left for college but I made the biggest jump out of everyone because it's not just about soccer here. As a player, my maturity was just on another level and you could just see that I never stopped working. The culture here makes you love what you do and makes you so involved, and my other teammates in club dreaded their experience. Here you want to go to practice every day, even if you don't get to play it makes you work that much harder to get out there. It's a cool development.”
