Emmaus High School athlete Izzy Ingato has been playing soccer since she was in sixth grade, and looks forward to getting back on the field with new teammates during college. 

Ingato will be attending East Stroudsburg University where she will major in exercise science. There, she will also further her athletic endeavors and play for the college’s Division II soccer team as a center or wide back. 

Stinger: How do you feel you have impacted Emmaus?

Ingato: I feel like, not just me but like the whole entire soccer team, we brought a lot of energy towards games and just like bring our school spirit towards everything. We always show up to the boys’ games to support, and all sports really.

Stinger: How did being a student-athlete throughout high school affect you?

Ingato: I think it really helped me make myself, like, make priorities and it helped me with time management a lot. Because you do practice a lot, and you do have a lot of assignments coming in.  You got to make sure you balance everything correctly, and just make time for yourself too.

Stinger: Favorite part about playing/being involved in soccer?

Ingato: I think for high school soccer my favorite thing is it’s like a family. Like that soccer team, it means the world to me. I love my coaches; Sarah Oswald was one of the best coaches I think I will ever have. And then for like club and everything like that, it really is a family– like you grow really close to your teammates. I’ll never forget, like, my teammates or anyone who’s helped me.

Stinger: How have you changed since freshman year?

Ingato:  Personally, I think when I came in freshman year I was kind of scared. I was kind of like I’ve never been to a public school since I did go to private school; I was really nervous. I was still like in my small group (my friends were still all at Central [High School] and all and stuff like that) like the only [people] who really went to my school [were] Bella [Haigeny] and Sophie [Anderson]. I think like now I have a big personality. I’m very loud, I’m very upfront, I’m very confident in myself, and like who I am as a person now. I think, like, public school really helped bring that out of me.

Stinger: What will you miss most about your time at Emmaus?

Ingato: I think for sure I’ll miss my coach and Sarah Oswald [and] I have a very close personal relationship and I think I’ll just miss the team. I miss seeing people in the hallways, too.

Stinger: What was your favorite class at Emmaus?

Ingato:  Probably microbiology, or micro. I had Mrs. Barthold my freshman year, or sophomore year, for Honors Bio and then I got to have her again for junior year. So it was really good seeing her and she’s also like an amazing teacher, even though she retired.

Stinger: What is your most embarrassing high school memory?

Ingato: I think the first one was probably, probably like our first or second week in Emmaus and I’m walking up the steps in the cafeteria, like the tall steps to the top, and I trip and I slide my food and tray all over. I was like, “I hope no one sees me.” And then my second one would have to be, probably this year: I was playing soccer, I was doing this nice jog back, like running backwards, and I tripped over my shoe.