A Jersey Blues Testimonial - Women's Soccer Alum Jess Textor

Lincroft, NJ - A 2018 graduate and two-year midfielder for the Brookdale women's soccer team, Jess Textor, expresses her gratitude and rewarding experience as a Jersey Blue which transferred to her current life. Not only did Textor find consistent success in the classroom, she earned 2nd Team All-GSAC and 3rd Team All-Region for her significant contributions on the field. 

"I have so much gratitude for having had the opportunity to play on Brookdale Community College Women's Soccer Team. My time on the roster for the Jersey Blues was accompanied with many life lessons, long-lasting friendships and continues to benefit both my personal and professional life. Being a collegiate student-athlete is a rewarding experience that requires effective time-management skills, motivation, and accountability. Although we were attending class, working, and playing soccer, our coach, Katie Amundson, always guided us towards putting academics above all else and the value of succeeding in the classroom. I am confident that the guidance from Coach Katie has propelled me and my teammates into becoming well-rounded and successful adults in our post grad endeavors.  

Student-athletes are naturally required to display hard work, teamwork, and adaptability. Both on the field and in the classroom, we were expected to give our all and learned that nothing worth having comes easy. After receiving my associate degree from Brookdale, I went to Georgian Court University to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Following graduation, I became a labor and delivery nurse at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. In this field, we must anticipate there will be unprecedented circumstances and when that happens, we must maintain the highest level of professionalism and integrity. Throughout my soccer career at Brookdale, Coach Katie expected her players to exemplify the true meaning of integrity. Whether it was at practice, in a game, in the classroom, or in our personal life, we understood the standard that had to be upheld.

Most nurses have an origin story, one that leads them to this challenging yet rewarding career. From the time I had younger siblings, I was naturally nurturing and wanted to care for others, but the lessons I learned from being a student athlete at Brookdale Community College have exponentially helped me in my career as a young adult. Every day I get to watch miracles happen and am thankful my teammates and coaches taught me how to be a team player, a leader, and be part of something that is bigger than myself.  Brookdale athletics is a community that binds people together from all walks of life and I am proud to be a Jersey Blue."