EASTON, Mass. – The 2025-2026 Senior Reflections is a series of annual collections. Senior representatives of teams at Stonehill have been invited to contribute and reflect on their personal experiences over their four-year careers at Stonehill - both on and off the playing surface. 

Terence O'Neill, Men's Soccer

Why Stonehill?
During my recruiting process, I listed many different aspects of an ideal school for me. Coming up with this list was stressful and tiring. I was constantly thinking about how I was going to balance my commitment and love for soccer with my academic and social needs. I decided that the school must be striving towards academic excellence, a mission to build a great culture in their soccer program, access to educational resources where I can challenge myself, and a community full of interesting and caring people. Stonehill checked all these boxes.

From extremely qualified teachers, Coach Reddish's vision for the soccer program, resources such as the Bloomberg Terminals in the business building, and a student body that will care for and challenge each other. These attractive elements of Stonehill were as good as advertised.

How Has Stonehill Shaped You As A Person?
I know this because they helped the skinny kid arriving to his first pre-season, nervous about his future, become a confident and experienced member of the soccer team. My freshman year I had a narrow view of what was out there in the world. I didn't know the countless possibilities my future contained and the power of the resources before me. Stonehill helped me believe I could research and pursue anything I wanted as well as make a difference in my community through soccer. The person I am now has a vision of what they want to do in the world through connections I made with my professors, course material and Stonehill community.

Best Moments …
The journey from my freshman year self to the senior I am today has consisted of many special moments. Particularly, the best moment as a soccer player was against Iona. It was the beginning of the season, and it was my first start after being on the bench for a couple of games. Iona was a quality opponent who won the MAAC and made the NCAA tournament. I was nervous before the game given it was my first start of the season against a formidable opponent. However, the nervousness slowly went away throughout the game because I played the game of my life which helped Stonehill beat Iona 2-1.

Academically, my best moment was my first econometric research paper. Throughout the process of writing my paper I learned how much passion I had for doing economic research. When I turned in the paper, I felt incredibly relieved and satisfied that I had done something difficult that I was passionate about.

Lessons Learned
During my time at Stonehill I have acquired many skills that I can use after I graduate. First and foremost, I learned how to overcome adversity. Whether it was not playing for certain periods in soccer, learning to be a TA (Teaching Assistant), living in a foreign country for study abroad, or persevering through difficult course material. All of these challenges have forced me to come up with strategies to deal with problems without completely relying on someone else. In terms of my career, I have learned how to network myself through the Career Development center and connections I have made with my professors. This will allow me to use Stonehill's network as well as my own to pursue things I am passionate about. I will always cherish my time at Stonehill. From the dog days of preseason and midterms to countless friends and professors I have connected with, Stonehill has been the perfect place for me to learn and take the next important steps in my life.

To view the past Senior Reflections visit this site: 2025-2026 Senior Reflections. 

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