Bridgewater College welcomed 375 first-year students to campus last month, including 174 student-athletes and 30 members of the Screamin’ Eagles Marching Band. As they settled into their new classes and residence halls, a few students took time to share what brought them to Bridgewater and what they’re most looking forward to in the months ahead.
Cassie Villafan ’28
If you see a flash of lightning tearing up the soccer field this fall, it may be midfielder Cassie Villafan ’28, wearing jersey number 16. As one of the newest members of the Eagles women’s soccer team, she scored the first goal of the season against Maryville College on Aug. 30.
Head Coach Michael Van Horn describes Villafan as “a great player” who is getting valuable experience both on and off the field. “Hopefully we are challenging her and helping her reach her goals,” he says.
Villafan has been playing soccer since she was eight years old. She has played on the under-17 and under-20 youth El Salvador national teams and competed in the World Cup Qualifiers in 2022 and 2023. She hopes to compete again this year.
The first-year student hails from Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School in Manassas, Va., and says she selected BC because she “really liked the tight-knit campus” and because “the soccer team is really close.” She plans to major in health and exercise science and hopes to go on to graduate school and become a nutritionist.
Elijah Lowe ’28
Elijah Lowe ’28 first connected with Bridgewater during his junior year at Rappahannock County High School in Washington, Va. He was playing trumpet in the concert band and his director, BC alumna Kalia Page ’22, had invited Barry Flowe, Director of Athletic Bands at BC, to observe.
After practice, Lowe remembers Flowe pulling him aside and saying that he wanted Lowe to come play at Bridgewater.
“I said that sounded interesting, but that he’d have to wait two years,” recalls Lowe. After that, Lowe began attending events at Bridgewater and participated in the “Music Major for a Day” program.
“Every time I came to Bridgewater, they treated me like I was already part of the band,” Lowe says. “Everyone was so nice, and I could have genuine conversations with them.”
Since arriving to campus earlier this month, the music education major says that he’s most excited to finally be able to focus on his passion—music. He’ll be playing in the Screamin’ Eagles Marching Band, symphonic band and several ensembles. After graduation Lowe says he intends to go to graduate school and eventually become a music educator.
Taylor Myers ’28
Since she was 16 years old, Taylor Myers ’28 has been pursuing her dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot. The Penn Laird, Va., resident began taking lessons at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport that year and flew her first solo flight at age 17. She now has her private pilot license and flies small single-engine Cessna aircraft out of the Weyers Cave, Va., airport as often as possible.
When she’s not soaring through the air, Myers can be found flying over the turf as a member of the BC women’s cross country team. The first-year student took the top spot in the first meet of the season on Aug. 30, finishing the 4K Eagles Cross Country Challenge with a time of 15:06:56.
Myers says she decided to come to Bridgewater to run cross country, and because her father, Anthony Myers ’00, spoke highly of the College over the years.
“He always talked about how much fun he had at BC and is still close with friends he made during his time here,” Myers says. For her part, the psychology major is looking forward to making new friends of her own and “taking advantage of everything there is to do at Bridgewater.”
– Heather S. Cole
9/18/2024
