Student-Athlete Spotlight: Jenna Urrabazo, Women’s Soccer Translating her passion for sports into her professional life, read more about the steps the first-year soccer player is taking to launch her career.
February 20, 2023
Jenna Urrabazo hit Wilson field running, not only on accomplishing her goals as a student-athlete, but using what she will learn in her time at Chapman to kick-start her career. The first-year forward from Gilroy, CA. earned first team All-Conference honors, as she led the SCIAC in scoring, and was also recognized on the All-Region Second-Team, being one of three freshman to earn the distinction. Urrabazo comments that the decision to be a Chapman student-athlete was easy, as “[the university] offered me a perfect balance between athletics and academics where I could still play soccer in college at a competitive level but I was getting a very good education and the time to flourish in it.” When Jenna isn’t on the field, she is working hard in the classroom to complete her Bachelor’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and utilizing that balance to strengthen her resume come post-graduation.
Urrabazo has expressed interest in working in sports prior to starting her collegiate career at Chapman. She states that “I would always watch Saturday Night Football and ELP [English Premier League] games early in the morning. The strategy behind sports and why players do what they do makes me interested in sports even more. I’ve always been competitive and find that working in an industry where I am interested in the behind-the-scenes of it all can be really interesting and fun!”
Jenna will gain further experience by representing Chapman University at the NCAA Student Athlete Leadership Forum this April, as she is the second student-athlete from the university ever to be selected for this program. At this forum, she will work with other NCAA student-athlete, coaches, and administrators to enhance her leadership capabilities that will help her thrive personally, athletically, and professionally. In regards to this program, Jenna says that she is “…feeling nervous to be chosen for the program, yet very excited to learn new things, meet new people, and make connections outside of Chapman. I feel like this is an amazing opportunity and I couldn’t be more grateful to get a jumpstart on my future so soon.” We are excited for Jenna, and believe she will be an amazing representation of the Chapman Athletics Department!