As the 2024 school year starts to come to an end, student athletes are starting to commit to college and take the next step of their lives. It is hard to maintain being both a good student and an athlete, as the standards are very high. It is also hard to pick a college that not only provides a good environment for your academics, but one for your chosen sport, as well. With the thousands of students that attend Cardozo High School, a few hundred students are student athletes, many of whom are bound to succeed with their talent and skills in their sport. Some of these high school athletes have shown their talent and skill so much within the four years here at Cardozo that they are on their way to college, slotted to represent their chosen university.
Jakeel Johnson, who played Varsity Football at Cardozo, shared that he will be attending SUNY Morrisville.
“I chose this school because of the environment academics and sports,” Johnson said.
Being on a high school team is only the first step to this new journey and he claims that playing in high school has helped him develop as an athlete. Johnson stated that football is a good sport to develop discipline and character in young men. “It’s controversial to some but it played a big part in developing who I am today as a person and athlete,” he said. This is super important in terms of not letting one thing define you, as playing football contributed to his athletic skills and his ability to be a better person overall.
Julia Han, a Volleyball player at Cardozo, will be attending Molloy University for their exceptional nursing program and their great volleyball program.
“Playing in high school prepared me for collegiate volleyball as it opens up new possibilities,” Han said. “Being able to face great players from different boroughs challenges me and reminds me to constantly work hard.”
She also shared that volleyball has given her such unforgettable experiences and opportunities that she has never imagined having before. The people she met along the way are the best part, sharing that, “Making lifelong friendships and relationships to always look back on.”
Jordin Walker, a basketball player at Cardozo, has a few schools in mind. Although he is undecided, he said he is thinking of Northwestern, St. John’s, and Eastern New Mexico. Jordin stated that playing basketball in high school helped prepare him for the next steps by the fact it showed him a new environment surrounded by people he didn’t know. It also helped him make new friends and develop his skills by listening to his coaches and training hard every day. It helped him become disciplined and he can carry this with him to the next step of life after high school.
“Basketball is the love of my life,” Walker said. “It changed the way I thought about life and made me become a leader to my peers instead of becoming a follower involving myself in bad antics. It helped me stay out of trouble and best of all go to college for free.”
Congratulations to our college-bound athletes from the Class of 2024. We can’t wait to see your names in bright lights, making your schools proud.
