North Carolina State University Athletics
Cuellar Finding Her Way at NC State
4/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
April 2, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - The life of a collegiate athlete isn't exactly an easy one, especially at a major university like NC State. Even more challenging is being a participant in the university Parks Scholars program. While most students would have their hands full with either one of these tasks, freshman Brittany Cuellar from the women's soccer team is making quite a name for herself while tackling both agendas.
Cuellar, a native of Swansboro, N.C., took after her brother by picking up soccer at age five and spent years playing on recreation league teams with other boys. At Swansboro she led Onslow County in scoring in both her junior and senior years of high school. It was during that period that Cuellar became introduced to the NC State program through Coach Laura Kerrigan's soccer camps.
"I came to camp here, prior to coming to NC State so that's how I started getting recruited," said Cuellar. "I was looking more at academics than I was for playing soccer, so I got the best of both worlds by coming here."
Head coach Laura Kerrigan noticed Brittany's talent from the beginning.
"You could tell that she was just a hard worker and I think that is even more obvious now, especially with her Parks Scholarship," Coach Kerrigan said. She is just a fine example of our team and what we are trying to accomplish here at NC State."
The biomedical engineering major, with medical school aspirations, was putting more of a focus on academics, rather than athletics, while weighing college choices in high school. However, the possibility of playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference was a choice that was easy to make.
"The ACC was just a really great opportunity," said Cuellar. "I had the opportunity to go elsewhere, but I just didn't see it as the same level of play. It definitely was something different to come here because the game is so much quicker and you can definitely tell when you play out of conference that the level of competition is so different."
On the field, Cuellar is positive about the direction of the Wolfpack soccer program.
"Spring practice is going well," Cuellar said. "I think I have made a lot of improvements and I think that we have made a lot of improvements as a team. I think that is key just because we are so young, and this spring really helped to get us meshing better as a team. My main goal is to prove myself as a player and help us to improve as a team. I know what I can do and I know what I have to do to make myself get better. Everything is shaping up well and I think that we will be a much better team next year."
In addition to her projects on campus, Cuellar is also volunteering with the Duke University hospital. With respect to all of her involvements, Cuellar is doing an excellent job of managing her time and setting an example for others to follow. Even still, she will admit that she feels a lot of pressure.
"I'm obligated to both programs and I want to give my best to both," Cuellar admitted. "With the time spent on each program, it's kind of hard to balance it out. In between class I just try and get some work done, or even just take a break because I know at night it's going to crank right back up again. As soon as practice is done I just try and get on my school work."
This summer Cuellar plans to remain at NC State, preparing for next season and taking courses at the same time.
"I think it will be better for me to stay here just because I will have the resources to make myself a better player and some of the other girls on the team are staying too," said Cuellar. "That should help make it a lot easier to stay in shape and stay at the level that we need to be at."
Hailing from a small town, Cuellar appreciates and enjoys the vast choices and opportunities that life in the Triangle has to offer.
"I love it here at State," Cuellar said. "I think it's a great opportunity. Coming from Swansboro it's like going from small to big, and I was definitely ready for that. There are so many opportunities here, both in academics and athletics."
