“I’ve dreamt of studying abroad since I was 8. Trent has helped me follow that dream.”
At just eight years old, Jessie knew she wanted to study abroad in America. Now, after starting hockey at Trent College in Year 7, she has secured a US sports scholarship to Indiana University, balancing elite sport with academic success. Jessie is currently our 1st XI Captain.
A Dream Born at Eight
While most eight-year-olds are still deciding what club to join after school, Jessie already knew where she wanted to be: America.
Inspired by her older sister, who had friends pursuing football scholarships in the United States, the vision took hold early. Watching athletes combine university study with high-level sport sparked something powerful.
From that point on, the goal was clear, study in the US and compete at the highest possible level.
A Global Ambition, Nurtured from Year 7
Remarkably, hockey wasn’t part of the original plan.
Jessie arrived at Trent College in Year 7 having barely played the sport, just one match in primary school. Football was her main focus but once she tried hockey here, everything changed.
“The coaches at Trent were my first ever hockey coaches. They worked with me from the start.”
Within two years, she had fallen in love with the game and made the difficult decision to step away from football. The coaching, encouragement and competitive opportunities at Trent College unlocked a talent she didn’t know she had.
Her development continued beyond school, progressing from Belper Hockey Club to Beeston Hockey Club. Now, she prepares to take that next step on an international stage. For families considering entry at Year 7, her story shows how early exposure and expert coaching can unlock unexpected potential.
Competing on the American Stage
After visiting Indiana University, Jessie knew it was the right fit.
“The team is like a family. The coaches are amazing. Athletes are treated like professionals.”
In the US college system, many games are filmed and streamed, meaning family back home can watch live from England. Over four years, she will travel across America competing against top-tier teams such as Michigan and South Carolina and experience the atmosphere of the prestigious Big Ten tournament, one of the biggest collegiate sporting events in the country. Competing in the Big Ten places her among elite student-athletes, in an environment where facilities mirror professional standards and performance expectations are exceptionally high
Careers Support That Opened International Doors
Turning a childhood ambition into a concrete plan required guidance, and that’s where Trent’s careers programme played a pivotal role.
In Year 11, the school hosted an American sports recruitment agency presentation. That introduction led Jessie to the very agent, Plus31Sports, who would later help her secure her scholarship opportunity.
Without that early careers’ intervention, the pathway may never have become clear.
“Careers brought the agent in. That’s how it started.”
For both UK and international students, this demonstrates Trent’s proactive global outlook and tailored university guidance. In the last year, we’ve helped other pupils make the leap to study abroad too; with students securing golf, tennis and rugby scholarships in the USA, and it’s not just sport, with other pupils heading to America for Psychology degrees and even a fashion design degree at leading fashion school, ESMOD, in Bordeaux, France.
A Sixth Form Pathway Designed Around Ambition
By Sixth Form, Jessie’s academic and sporting goals aligned.
Studying Triple BTEC Sport allowed her to tailor her studies towards Sports Science, her intended university degree in the United States.
“Not everyone takes the traditional A-level route. Trent provided the course that suited me.
I’ve learned so much, and it links directly to what I want to do.”
The balance between academic rigour and elite sport, can be a central part of Trent’s Sixth Form experience.
The Power of Synergy
What stands out most in Jessie’s story is the synergy between sport, careers guidance and academic study.
- Coaches identified and developed potential from scratch
- Careers provided the pathway to an international scholarship
- Teachers supported academic progress alongside elite sport
A Message to Younger Pupils
As Jessie prepares to leave in five months’ time, her advice is simple:
“Go for your dreams. Enjoy school. It goes by so quickly. Your teachers are always here to help, and your friends will push you forward.”
From a Year 7 pupil trying hockey for the first time, to an international scholar-athlete heading to America, this is what ambition, resilience and the right support network can achieve.
Trent College didn’t just prepare Jessie for university; it helped her follow a dream she has held since she was eight-years-old.