Senior Spotlight: Joao Pedro Patelli Santos, Penn State Mont Alto
Welcome to our Senior (and Sophomore) Spotlight series. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PSUAC had to cancel its fall and winter sport seasons. This prevented several student-athletes from receiving a proper senior day and minimized opportunities for Player of the Week awards. In its place, we will highlight seniors from around the conference throughout the remainder of the semester.
See more Senior Spotlight highlights on our Twitter (@psuac) and Instagram (psuac)!
Name: Joao Pedro Patelli Santos
Campus: Mont Alto
Primary Sport: Men's Soccer
Primary Position(s): Midfielder
Hometown: Sorocaba, Brazil
High School: Colégio Uirapuru
Academic Achievements: Fall 2019 Dean’s List and 2020 PSUAC all-academic team
Athletic Achievements: Player of the Week (September 3, 2019)
How did your Penn State education prepare you for life after graduation? Made me independent and knowing that in order to succeed in life, I’ll have to fight for it. Always.
How do you hope to be remembered by teammates and coaches? I hope to be remembered as a resourceful player who never quit on decisive moments and who would always be there for his teammates.
What is your favorite memory from playing your sport at Penn State? My game-winning goal against Williamson in overtime.
What is the best advice you ever received from a coach or teammate that you would share with other student-athletes? It doesn’t matter where you’re from, your race, your financial status, anything. When inside the pitch, we are all the same with the same goal. There’s nothing that can put others above you and vice-versa. Therefore, go out there and be the best version of yourself.
What are you most looking forward to post graduation? Or in your transition to University Park (or other campus) to finish your degree? I’m looking forward for a possibility of playing in UP’s soccer team and I can’t wait to watch my first White-out game!
What are some of the tools or skills that you learned through all the years of playing your sport that you plan to instill once you enter the workforce? Practice makes perfect. Keep trying until you’re satisfied.
What impact did athletics have on your experience as a college student? What is your favorite memory outside of athletics during your time as a student-athlete? That helped me make a lot of friends, and that, surely, made my college experience way better. My favorite memory outside the athletics would be hanging out with my teammates outside the field.
Please use this space to thank anyone you wish to acknowledge for their support during your academic and athletic career. At last, I would like to thank my teammates and my coaches who made this dream become true. Without them I would be just an ordinary student having an ordinary life. I’ll be always thankful for everything they’ve done for me.