Aurora Gutterman-Johns '24 Recruiting Profile

Hello, my name is Aurora Gutterman-Johns. I am currently a junior at South Salem High School in Salem, Oregon where I am a full International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate. My academics are very important to me and I am happy to say that I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA. I participate in Key Club as well as DECA and French Honor Society, go to the gym, rock climb, and volunteer for a TOPsoccer program (https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/programs/topsoccer/). This semester I am also starting a peer tutoring program at my school; our goal is to provide a safe space for students to seek help in response to the learning challenges the COVID pandemic inflicted on different student's lives.

Of course, the extracurricular activity that I am most committed to is soccer. I have been playing soccer for more than a decade. I am starting at center back for my high school team. We are currently ranked #3 in the state of Oregon and have only conceded 5 goals in our first 10 games. Our schedule can be found here: https://southsalemathletics.com/teams/3359507/girls/soccer/varsity/schedule  My role on the team is both to be a steady foundation for the backline, and also to mark the opponent’s strongest forward. I try to take each lesson I have learned and play with confidence and commitment at every practice and every game. In addition, I am taking on the responsibility of mentoring our outside backs, (which is the position I played for my high school team last year) – one of whom is a ninth grader and the other is new to the position. I remember how challenging it was to build the confidence necessary to be a force on the back line and I want to help make that process easier for my teammates. 

As for my club team, I mostly play center back and defensive mid for Capital Futbol Club in Salem, Oregon, but can sometimes be found anywhere in the back line. Over the years my team has moved up in divisions a number of times and are currently in Girls Academy. We will be participating in different showcases and tournaments. This year we will be traveling to Arizona, Washington, and possibly New Jersey, if we make it to the finals. The schedule for my club team can be found here: https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/16349/schedules?team=906113

My goals for playing in college are to join a team that loves the game and shows it in the respect they hold their teammates, coaches, and opponents. I want to continue to find joy in the game and with my teammates. And most importantly I want to continue to find a way to play the sport I love. My academic goals for college are to further my education in languages, and find a major that would give me the opportunity to help others.