As Samantha Breeze signed her letter of intent to play Division 1 lacrosse at American University on Nov. 17, 2014, her family, friends, coaches, and teachers were excited to see where her athletic career takes her.  The packed media center was missing one person, though: her father.

Breeze’s father, Rick, passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 2013.  Although it changed just about everything in Breeze’s life, the loss didn’t stop her from pursuing the dream they shared.

Breeze has been playing lacrosse for 12 years. She started playing when she was “in the first grade.” She started playing because “her sister joined” and because her parents thought that she “should join, also.”

“One lesson I have learned was through the death of my dad. I really bonded with my mom and sister after he died, and if I can get through that, I can get through anything. I’ve learned to keep a positive mentality no matter what life throws at me.”

Breeze’s father had a vast impact on her life. He “drove me to be better, to practice more, to try harder, and to dream bigger.” At the time of his passing, her teammates had her back and continued to follow the dreams of her father.

Through this rough time, her mom has become her number one fan. “I actually call her my number one fan — she’s always there for me,” said Breeze. As the passing of her father caused deep sadness within the family and her teammates, her mom took on the role.

Going through high school without a parent can be unbearable, but Breeze has managed to keep pursuing her dreams in lacrosse. She made the Varsity lacrosse team during her freshman year of high school.

Varsity girls lacrosse head coach Gretchen Martin was thrilled to see the talent that would arise from her. As she has progressed from her freshman year to her senior year of high school lacrosse, Breeze has become a dominant force on the team.

“She was chosen as a captain her junior year because her peers thought of her as a leader and looked up to her for guidance,” said Martin.

Casey Aguilar, current teammate and future teammate at American University, looks up to Breeze because it makes her “a better player.” “Sami is very competitive,” said Aguilar, and “is an exceptional leader for the team.”

As college is approaching quite rapidly, Breeze has already figured out what she plans to study. She hopes to “be a political science major with a minor in justice, law, and criminology.”

“I hope to go into law school,” said Breeze with a confident smile on her face.

As the final high school season of lacrosse nears for Breeze and her coach, Martin looks to have “the best of the season and a chance of winning, once again.”

With smiles on their faces, they can’t wait for the season to come.