Today we would like to honor our first Warrior on in a new series we are beginning that will highlight our Campus Captains of ESU & their stories! We are so proud of our first story!
"My name is Kaylee Lopresto and I am a junior here at ESU studying special education. In the summer of 2020 I moved to East Stroudsburg from Litchfield Park, Arizona. Moving 2500 miles away from my family and friends was a lot harder on me than I thought it would be.
During my freshman year, one of my best friends had passed away, and that caused me to go into a downward spiral. My anxiety and depression took over, and I gained a ton of eating problems that caused me to constantly feel physically and emotionally unstable.
Being a student athlete at that time was very difficult for me, and I needed to reach out to my coach and family for support.
The desire to always show up with energy and positivity during such a tough time puts a lot of pressure on a student athlete. I had a hard time vocalizing what I was going through, but over time I found comfort in my coach, teammates and friends as well as the hidden opponent in which I am the vice president for now.
With all the support that I have been given during the challenges & obstacles, I have been able to see so much positive change. I now wake up each day feeling blessed that I have the opportunity to make a change and bring happiness to others around me. I have been able to figure out what helps me and what does not, as well as how to help people that are struggling. I want to take this time to thank my coach and teammates for believing in me, and seeing my growth.
To all the student athletes out there, remember why you are here and why you're doing what you're doing. You are more than just an athlete, you matter."
The pictures provided are from our VP & Campus Captain saying this at her mental health awareness game this past October. The next picture is from the time she discussed where she had lost herself. The last two pictures are currently where she has overcome so much & it makes such an impact by just being herself!
