Very technical player . . . possesses some of the best foot skills on the team . . . also has the best touch of anyone on the team . . . puts the ball where it needs to go on the field . . . has the ability to control the pace of the match by maintaining possession.

Jessika Mejia

2006 (junior): Earned playing time in all 18 of the Bulldogs' matches and made 12 appearances in the starting lineup . . . finished sixth on the team in minutes played (1230) . . . played a major role in Samford's Ohio Valley Conference-leading defense that concluded the year with a league-best 0.73 goals-against average . . . started in seven of the Bulldogs' nine OVC matches and played the entire 110 minutes versus both Austin Peay (Sept. 24) and Tennessee-Martin (Oct. 13) . . . named to the Athletic Department's Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society which includes juniors and seniors that have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.4 . . . named to Samford's prestigious Dean's List for having a GPA of at least 3.5 . . . earned her third varsity letter.

2005 (sophomore): One of the Bulldogs' most physical defenders . . . played in 22 of 23 matches, making 21 starts . . . played a pivotal role in the back line of Samford's defense that finished as the best team in the OVC in both goals-against average (0.54) and shutouts (12) . . . member of the Athletic Department's 3.0 Club for finishing the year with a grade point average between 3.0 and 3.49 . . . earned her second varsity letter.

2004 (freshman): Contributed greatly as a true freshman and played in all 18 matches, starting in 16 contests . . . scored a goal and added an assist for three points . . . placed third on the team in shooting percentage, scoring a goal on only four shot attempts (.250) from her midfield position . . . one of seven Samford freshmen to score at least one goal during the season . . . played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' defense that was ranked 13th in the nation in shutout percentage (.560) . . . tallied an assist in her first collegiate match against Southern Miss in the season opener Aug. 27 . . . scored a key goal in the Bulldogs' 2-1 victory over Tennessee Tech Oct. 17 . . . earned her first varsity letter.

High School: Four-year member of the varsity team at Marcus High School . . . named to the All-Freshman team in 2001 . . . All-District honorable mention in 2002 . . . led her team to the state championships in 2003 and was ranked No. 1 in the state in 2004 . . . an Honor Roll student . . . a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society . . . played club ball for the D'Feeters Soccer Club along with fellow Samford teammates Caroline Baxter, Heather Birdsell and Hilary Samuels.

Personal: Born Nov. 1, 1985 . . . daughter of Michelle Mejia . . . majoring in graphic design.

ONE-ON-ONE WITH MEJIA
Favorite food: mom's turkey burgers
Favorite musical group: The Strokes
Favorite actress: Julia Roberts
Favorite TV Shows: Lost and Grey's Anatomy
Favorite movie: My Best Friend's Wedding

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

My favorite Samford memory is:
Talladega '05 (aka: Mullet Fest 2005). It doesn't get any better than being covered in mud, food and filth; fitting 10 people on a golf cart with beverage containers, sleeping under a water tower because you got kicked out of an RV park, not showering and feasting on fried chicken (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for two days straight with a group of college students.

The one thing I'll miss the most about Samford soccer is:
You were always guaranteed a good laugh. When your day had hit rock bottom, your body had far surpassed tired and practice was the last place you wanted to be, there was always one person you could laugh with that made things pass by faster and a lot smoother. I'll miss the girls who laughed with me through the hard times, they kept me sane.

The most important thing I can tell incoming freshmen is:
1) Don't go to college with a boyfriend - you're setting yourself up for drama. 2) Get out of study hall your first semester - it pays off to be a book worm. The fun "college" stuff happens outside of the library and you don't want to be stuck there second semester when it happens. 3) Find yourself. Don't conform to what others are or want you to be. Fly your own flag and fly it proud. 4) Live your life and don't take things too seriously.