Here, You Are Family

Emily Harvey, a sophomore majoring in anthropology, is breaking out this season on George Mason’s women’s soccer team. She was recently recognized as the CAA Women’s Soccer player of the week.  The award came after recording her first goal against George Washington University, and a last minute game winning assist against American University.

“I didn’t expect the award at all, it really was a surprise,” Harvey said. “I really just try to go out and do whatever it is the team needs me to do. If that means scoring a goal I go out there and work for a goal, if that means picking up team moral and getting us pumped up then that’s what I do.”

Emily has had a longer road to Mason’s Soccer program than one would guess.

“I grew up an army brat and we moved a lot,” Harvey said.

Both of her parents worked for the military and their jobs took them along the Atlantic coast from Maryland to New Jersey, Rhode Island to Pennsylvania, and even Florida.

“I still think of Maryland as my home though; we always went back in-between moves,” Harvey said.

Everywhere their family went her and her siblings played soccer. Going to her brothers’ practices and games really helped kindle Emily’s interest and talent towards soccer. She ended up playing for three different high school teams over four years, which included winning her school’s first ever district championship. Moving around was a challenge for her, but she often finds that her hardest obstacle to overcome is herself.

“You just psych yourself out and become your own worst enemy,” Harvey said. “But I’ve got my team, coaches and family all there to support me.”

The Patriots are a tight group and closely knit team of girls who are always there for one another, like a second family, she explained. Every college student goes through struggles, and it’s often the new family we find at away from home that helps us through and keep us looking ahead, which is exactly what Emily is doing.

“I just want to keep working and improving, to keep getting better and better,” Harvey said.

Whenever she has questions about anything from life to homework she can always count on her captains and teammates to lend a helpful hand or word of advice.

Her family still comes to see her games, with her mom often coming straight from the Pentagon in full military attire and all. They also support her off the field 100 percent.

“At a young age my parents taught me how grades are very important, they serve as a motivator for now and they will help me in the future,” said Emily, who is looking to land an internship and eventually a job with the state department.

With her family from home and Mason at her back she knows she can do anything she sets her mind to.