Tornado Spotlight – Ashley Hughes, Women's Soccer
Meet Ashley Hughes, a senior captain on the Women's Soccer team and the latest NadoInsider's Spotlight Tornado. Hughes has already set a new single-season career high for goals scored this season and plans to continue to build off her success.
Hughes came to Brevard from Charlotte, North Carolina. She chose Brevard to further her soccer career, while also taking advantage of the academic offerings. After visiting the campus, Hughes loved the small school atmosphere and the community of Brevard. She immediately felt an urge to help out in the community of Brevard after being involved in community service back home in Charlotte. While at Brevard, she has been heavily involved in community service with her teammates in assisting various organizations. The most meaningful for Hughes has been assisting Bread of Life which provides meals for the homeless and anyone in need.
Not only is Hughes excelling on the playing field and in the community, but the senior has also thrived in the classroom. She is a member of the honors college, which requires a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA and a total of 45 hours of mentoring. Hughes has been named to the Dean's list every semester of her Brevard Career. In order to be awarded Dean's List honors, a student must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and have a grade point average of a 3.5 or higher. She is majoring in Health Science as well as pursuing minors in Business and Chemistry. Hughes serves as a tutor in the Education Learning Commons for Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, General and Organic Chemistry.
Recently, Hughes was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Society, Alpha Chi and Beta Beta Beta, a Biology Honors Society. ODK is a National Leadership Society for university and college students. The society recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character as well as achievements in scholarship, athletics, campus and community service including social and religious activities. Ashley recently found out that she has been inducted into the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. Alpha Chi only accepts the top ten percent of junior, seniors, and graduate students in all academic fields. The society recognizes and promotes scholarship and the elements of character that make scholarship effective for good.
Being an athlete, Health Science major with two minors and a tutor is a daunting task for most. On top of those responsibilities, Hughes also serves as a Senior Resident Assistant for Stanback Hall. This is her second year as an RA and the job comes with more responsibilities, such as health and safety checks, monthly meetings, and closing down the dorm for breaks. As a student orientation leader, Hughes had the opportunity to represent Brevard College at the NODA Region VI Conference at the University of Central Florida in 2018. She is looking forward to attending the 2019 Region VI Conference at Coastal Carolina in the spring.
The second-year captain has shined on the field for the Tornados' Women's Soccer program. Hughes recently took over as the leader in the number of goals scored in the USA South conference with nine total goals. This came after a four-goal weekend on September 22 and 23. The senior recorded a hat trick against Berea College to lead the Tornados to a 7-0 victory, the largest victory in the Brevard Women's Soccer era. After her outstanding performances, the senior earned the USA South Women's Soccer Player of the Week honors, becoming the first Tornado to earn the award. Hughes has started every game of her Brevard career while transitioning from different positions on the field. During her junior season, the Charlotte native was awarded the Brevard College Women's Soccer Defensive Award and named to the USA's South's All-Sportsmanship Team. She also serves as the SAAC representative for the women's soccer team and is the secretary for the committee.
Hughes has high expectations for this season for not only herself but for the Tornados as a team. She has already achieved one of her goals of scoring five goals during a win against Salem College on September 18. The captain would like to help lead her team to a USA South regular-season championship. Hughes would also like to make it to the ECAC Tournament at the end of the year and travel with the team up north to experience a new area.
When asked about her favorite memory as a Tornado, Hughes described scoring her first collegiate goal. The goal came during her sophomore season against King University and also served as the winning goal of the game. Being a member of the soccer team have created some of Hughes' favorite memories while at Brevard. She enjoys traveling to different places with the team and experiencing the new areas. One of her favorite trips was to Alabama last year. Hughes was able to see family that she had not seen in a while.
Hughes has several people that have influenced her over the years. Her father introduced her to the sport of soccer and taught her to learn and love the game. Her mom was always very supportive and attended her games even though she was often busy with work. The senior is also very thankful for her coach, Juan Mascaro. Although Coach Mascaro did not take over the women's program until her sophomore year, he was always around and helped the team. Off the field, Coach Mascaro supported Hughes and her family in pursuing her goals.
The future looks bright for this spotlighted Tornado. Hughes will graduate in May and plans to attend to go to dental school. During the spring semester of 2018, Hughes completed an internship at Carolina Smiles.
"My shadowing experiences have increased my awareness and understanding of the dental field by observing the process of dental restoration, dental prophylaxis, dental bonding, and etc," said Hughes of her experience with Carolina Smiles. "This experience solidified my decision to continue my education at dental school. In the future, I hope to become a pediatric dentist."
Hughes thanks Brevard College for providing her with awesome opportunities and experiences. The soon-to-be graduate of Brevard College also encourages others to "enjoy each semester because they do go by quickly!"