After 13 years of endless practices, scrimmages and games, senior Dani Kaufman’s work has finally paid off as she committed to Bucknell University.

On Dec. 5 in North Carolina, scouts from Bucknell University watched Kaufman play at an FC United game and asked her to visit their campus. Not only is this an amazing opportunity for the senior soccer player, but it is a doorway into numerous paths for her college career.

Starting when she was only five, her love for the game of soccer began. “I love being a part of a team,” Kaufman said. Her love for the sport and her teammates continued to grow when she joined her New Trier team, Kaufman added.

Varsity Girls Soccer Coach, Jim Burnside, explained that “She has a great god given talent and she always strives to maximize it.” “Most people would say I am a vocal leader,” Kaufman added. “I also try to help out the younger girls.” This trademark of Kaufman doesn’t go unnoticed by her teammates. Junior Natalie Laser explained, “She is the type of teammate who would do anything and everything she can for the team. Her ability to lead others is a quality that Kaufman possesses that is very hard to have.”

Burnside went on to say, “Kaufman is highly invested in the team, she wants them to do well and she always wants what’s best for her teammates.”

Inspiration came from one of her old high school teammates, Maddie Mulford, who currently attends Bucknell University.

Mulford encouraged Kaufman to never give up on her dreams and taught the young underclassman the values of being her best and a team leader.

“She took me under her wing and gave me a lot of confidence in how I played. She was the hardest worker [on the team] and gave me great advice on how to be a leader,” Kaufman said.

Mulford’s advice followed Kaufman even after her teammate graduated. Sophomore Caroline Iserloth added, “Kaufman is a great teammate. She always motivates me to do my best and helps me with anything whenever I need it.”

Originally Kaufman was thinking about playing at the University of Maryland. “I was going to play at the University of Maryland but around November the head coach retired. He told me to keep my options open. About three weeks later, Bucknell saw me play at a tournament and liked what they saw,” Kaufman explained.

“I went on a visit and fell in love with the school,” Kaufman continued. “I feel like I always knew Bucknell was the place for me.”

Kaufman still does not know if she wants to continue her soccer career after college.

“I will see what happens in college but as of right now I want to focus on my last New Trier season as well as the upcoming summer before college.”

During the soccer season for New Trier, Kaufman plays six days a week and two hours after school for practice. While this may seem tiresome for some people, Kaufman doesn’t seem to mind. She even added, “It has given me great time management skills.”

Kaufman said she learned to balance her time efficiently in order to get her school work done and still be able to play the sport she loves.

“Her best qualities are her competitiveness, work ethic, and mindset,” her teammate, Laser added. Iserloth continued on to say, “She is resilient, strong and very determined.”

After the many years of playing on numerous soccer teams, Kaufman is excited to begin her journey at her new university next Fall. “At New Trier, the players and the amazing coaching staff has not only helped me grow as a soccer player, but have helped shaped me into the person I am today.”