by Haley Strom
With all of the unknowns that this past year has brought us, committing to a college may be the only certainty, especially for senior Tess Collins. With her outstanding performances as a track athlete and her amazing work ethic, Collins is in for something great as she recently committed to run D1 track at St. Joseph’s in Pennsylvania.
Tess has been a strong leader within the school, and has been a part of many clubs and organizations throughout her high school career. She took part in SADD, Friends of Rachel, Leo Club, Best Pals, National Honor Society, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
From the soccer field to the track, Collins has been a very athletic member of the class of 2021. She has always shown a desire to get involved and to help the community around her.
Her best friend, Jessica Gaskin, described her by saying, “Tess is such a sweet, caring, funny, and loving person and as an athlete. She has a very competitive side and that definitely helps her as an athlete.”
Similar to Gaskin, senior Emily Manning said, “I’ve only ever seen Tess as a strong willed athlete and person.”
Apart from her busy life she lives at school, Collins enjoys hanging out with her friends on nights and weekends when she has nothing else going on. She said, “My favorite thing to do in my free time is to go for drives, be outdoors, and watch Netflix.”
Within the past couple of months, Collins has been talking to many athletes and coaches from many different schools. Describing her latest experience with Collins, Jessica Gaskin said, “Tess kept her decision a secret from my friends and myself for a long time. She wanted to wait till she had made up her mind completely before she told us where she wanted to go.”
Gaskin continued, “I did not expect her to commit to St. Joseph’s. She kept talking about Bucknell for the longest time, making me think that she was going to commit there.”
When asking Collins why she thought St. Joseph’s was the right decision for her, she said, “My deciding factor was what felt like home to me. The coach and the girls on the team welcomed me into their family and told me how St. Joes would be the best decision of my life.”
As a commit to St. Joesph’s, Collins plans to run the 400 hurdles and train with the mid-distance group. With uncertainty to where she plans to go after she graduates from college, her friends made predictions about her future. Emily Manning said, “I see Tess being somewhere with people. She is such a people person. As far as a career, I see Tess becoming a news broadcaster.”
With a not-so-quick drive to her future home, Manning and Gaskin also gave us some insight as to what they expected from Collins. “I never expected Tess to travel so far away from home, but I totally see it in her and I know she’ll strive in everything she does,” said Manning. Gaskin agrees, saying she also didn’t see her traveling this far, but believes it is best for her and she will continue on to do great things in life.
WIth a lot ahead of her, Collins is beyond excited to start a new chapter in her life. Although she will be separated from her friends and family, she believes that a new beginning is awaiting and there will be great opportunities for her in her future.
The First Launch 