Her dream became reality after years of hard work and dedication.

On Oct. 24, 2024,  junior Maia Valenti committed to Central Connecticut State University to further her career as a student athlete. 

Valenti first picked up a bat when she was just 5, competing on a baseball team. But she didn’t begin playing softball until age 10. 

Valenti said she was so glad to have found CCSU, and it seemed like it would be perfect for her to reach her athletic and academic goals. 

“The school gave me a really good opportunity on the softball team,” Valenti said. “And they had a specific major that I’m really interested in that most schools don’t offer.”

Valenti said that even though the recruitment process was stressful and it was easy to lose hope, she knew it would all be worth it in the end.

“It was really hard,” she said. “Sometimes the coaches didn’t respond at all, so it was important to keep sending emails.” 

The biggest thing that kept her going was that it had been a long time goal to play D1 softball. 

“Because it’s been a dream since I was little, it pushed me to be able to pursue the dream I’ve always had,” she said. 

While going to a college out of state can be a difficult transition, Valenti said she looks forward to starting somewhere new. 

“Honestly, I’m most excited to get out of the area, meet new people, and experience new things,” she said.

Valenti’s teammates have only positive things to say about her.

Sophomore Harlie Reich describes Maia as not only a good teammate, but also a good person.

“As a player, she’s super determined and works hard,” Reich said. “As a friend, she cares about her teammates and builds them up instead of breaking them down.”

Passion goes hand in hand with success. Reich believes Valenti has fun every time she steps on the field. 

“She really loves the game,” Reich said. “She plays with a lot of joy and it’s very noticeable.”

Sophomore Mikayla Greene has been playing with Valenti for two years and says she impacts the team greatly and is always there to support teammates when they’re down, and help them when they struggle. 

“She’s easy to talk to and won’t think twice about guiding us in the right direction when we ask.”

Stewart Wilcox has coached Valenti for three years and describes her as having an amazing work ethic, and being a great team player.

“Her hard work shows on and off the field,” Wilcox said. “She handles adversity very well.” 

Valenti says that God has been with her every step of the way and she is very grateful for the opportunities she’s been given.

“I found that things happen for a reason,” Valenti says. “So I couldn’t be more happy where I ended up.”