MANSFIELD, Pa. - For former Mansfield Mountaineers women's soccer student-athlete Anita Young, formerly Anita Valerio, Mansfield was more than a place to earn a degree and compete at the collegiate level. It became home.

Coming from a large high school in suburban New Jersey, Mansfield offered something different. It was smaller, more personal, and quickly felt like a place where she could belong.

"After visiting campus, it was the small-campus feel I was really looking for," Young said. "Mansfield gave me a home-like feeling."

Young was a member of the Mansfield University women's soccer program from 2004-07. She came to Mansfield looking for a place where she could continue playing soccer while earning a Spanish Education degree, and she found both.

"Mansfield gave me an opportunity to earn a Spanish Education degree in four years, which gave me an option to teach or pursue Spanish in a different way," Young said. "I knew I wanted to continue to play soccer, and Coach Dempsey was welcoming and easy to talk to."

Today, Young lives in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Matt, and their two children, Mia and Lincoln. The family also has a five-year-old black lab, Luna.

Mansfield remains a major part of Young's story. She and Matt met at Mansfield in 2006 and began dating in 2007. Matt was also a Mountaineer student-athlete, playing baseball during his time on campus. The two have now been married for nearly 13 years.

Young currently serves as the Online Learning Director and Principal of the BILD Program at Huntingdon Area School District. She graduated from Mansfield in 2008 with a degree in Spanish Education after attending from 2004-08. During her time at Mansfield, she also studied abroad in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, during the spring 2007 semester.

While the classroom helped prepare Young for her career, the soccer field gave her some of her closest friendships.

"I loved everything about being a Mansfield women's soccer player, but most importantly, I had great teammates," Young said. "My teammates became my best friends. We spent a lot of time together on and off the field. We worked hard during the season and in the offseason, but knew how to have fun and create great memories."

One of her earliest college soccer memories came in a place that would later become home. Young's first collegiate game was played in Huntingdon against Juniata College, where Mansfield earned a 4-0 win.

"It was a great experience," Young said. "Little did I know I would be living in that same town a couple of years later."

Young also remembers the 2005 and 2006 seasons as some of her favorite times with the program. The Mountaineers had strong team chemistry and found more success against PSAC competition.

"We had a great group, and it was so enjoyable to play with my teammates," Young said. "We had a lot more success on the field beating PSAC teams."

Among the moments that still stand out was a stretch when Mansfield defeated Lock Haven, 2-1, before traveling to Kutztown a few days later and earning a tie against a strong team.

"We had a big opportunity to win during overtime, but hit the crossbar," Young said.

For Young, though, Mansfield was never only about the final score.

The relationships she built became the part of her experience that lasted the longest. Her best friend and teammate, Kim Fritchman Pachuta, made one of the biggest impacts on her time as a Mountaineer.

"We met on our first day at preseason in 2004 and have been best friends since," Young said. "We roomed together and played side by side most of our college games."

Young also credits Dr. Flor Blanco, her Spanish professor and academic advisor, with helping shape her Mansfield experience.

"She was my favorite Spanish teacher and my academic advisor," Young said. "She connected me with different opportunities on campus and in the community so I could teach and become more involved. She helped me with my study abroad experience, as well as through my whole teaching certification process."

The support extended beyond the classroom and playing field. Young also remembers Mansfield's athletic training staff, including Laurie Zaparzynski and Brian Oakes, for the care they gave student-athletes.

"Our athletic trainers at Mansfield were top notch," Young said. "Laurie Zaparzynski and Brian Oakes took great care of us and were always there to listen."

Being a Mountaineer was something Young took pride in. That pride reached into the Mansfield community, where she and some of her teammates volunteered to coach youth soccer.

"I enjoyed being a part of the team, the school, and the community," Young said. "Some of my teammates and I volunteered to coach youth soccer in Mansfield, and it allowed us to make an impact."

The lessons Young learned as a Division II student-athlete continue to show up in her career today.

"Being a student-athlete at a Division II program requires a lot of time management, hard work, and resiliency," Young said. "Those skills are critical in life, especially in my role as an administrator and working with students."

Young said being part of a team also taught her how to work with others and how important it is to create meaningful experiences.

"At Mansfield, I valued the importance of making memories on and off the field," Young said. "Whether in coaching or teaching, this is still important to me, and I strive to do this for students and athletes."

Since graduating, Young has built a career in education. She taught Spanish for nearly 10 years in Mifflin and Huntingdon counties before transitioning into roles as an ESL and gifted teacher, a virtual learning specialist at IU8, and eventually a principal at Huntingdon.

She also continued her own education, earning a master's degree in Instructional Technology from Wilkes University, a Letter of Endorsement in Teacher Leadership, certification in English as a Second Language, and an Educational Leadership/Principal Certification from Point Park University.

Young has presented at several educational conferences on virtual teaching and programming.

Soccer also remained part of her life after Mansfield. She coached for seven years at the recreational, club, varsity, and ODP levels. Coaching later took a back seat when she had children, and much of her time now is spent supporting Mia and Lincoln in their own sports and activities.

Young has stayed active in her community as well, volunteering and serving on boards for several organizations, including the Central PA Autism Community, TIU11 Local Task Force, and the Huntingdon Community Center.

Her family enjoys Pittsburgh Pirates games, fishing, and traveling. Recently, Young has also started becoming more involved with Mansfield's Alumni Association and hopes to continue supporting current students.

Her advice for today's Mansfield student-athletes is simple: take advantage of the people and opportunities around you.

"Take advantage of all that Mansfield offers," Young said. "While it is a small community and campus, there are ample opportunities to get involved, make connections, and learn. Make the memories. Your teammates will become your best friends."

Years after her final game, Mansfield still feels like home for Young.

"Mansfield will always hold a special place in my heart," Young said. "While the campus looks very different now, I have memories for a lifetime, and going back always feels like home."

Once a Mountie, Always a Mountie.