From her competitive nature, to her strong work ethic, Imani Colon-Solivan has made a name for herself.

“What doesn’t stand out about Imani in the classroom? I guess is the question,” said Nate Wight, a Beacon High School physics teacher.

“She’s warm. She’s engaging. She’s what you want every student to be,” said Lauren Scheff, a Beacon High School student counselor.

“She’s been willing every single year to sort of figure out what she’s doing well and where she can be better,” said Kevin Jacobs, the Beacon High School girls’ varsity soccer coach.

This drive to improve is obvious on the soccer field. It’s a place this Beacon High School senior considers her second home after starting the sport at 4 years old.

“It’s like all this built up energy and once I get that first touch on the ball all my confidence and reinsurance comes back,” said Colon-Solivan.

Even after years of playing wing, Colon-Solivan was nervous to join her blue devil teammates.

“As a freshman I was kind of scared and intimidated," she said. "I was like, ‘Wow, these girls are amazing and they’re so much more athletic than me.’ It kind of pushed me. And, especially during quarantine and COVID, I really took the time to practice by myself so that coming back junior year I could be the best player possible.”

“She comes to practice ready to work hard to be better and to help teammates be better as well. That’s, I think, a big part about leadership. It’s not telling people what to do, it’s showing your readiness to work hard,” said Jacobs.

Colon-Solivan also leads by example, teaching her peers as a volunteer soccer coach.

“I like to share what I know because I feel like it’s important to give back," Colon-Solivan said. "And not just like play for myself, but I think like giving back to the community is also important.”

She puts that commitment into everything she does, including her second love: the piano.

As she heads to college next year, she hopes to focus on STEM, giving it everything she has until she reaches that final goal.