While most students begin their mornings in a classroom, 11th-grade student Emiliana Isaza often starts hers on a soccer field. From 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., she trains before heading to TCS, where she attends classes until 3:15 p.m. However, her day does not end when she leaves campus. Homework, assignments, gym sessions, and physical recovery are still waiting for her.

For Isaza, this demanding routine is part of balancing two very different responsibilities: being a high school student and playing professional soccer for Atlético Nacional while representing Colombia at the youth national-team level.

Her passion for soccer began long before she became a professional player. At seven years old, she started playing with her cousins during family gatherings. Surrounded by relatives who loved the sport, she developed an interest that eventually became much more than a childhood hobby.

Her soccer journey began with the school team and playing alongside boys at La Jaula deÁngel before joining Atlético Nacional’s youth divisions. She later represented Antioquia at the U-13, U-15, and U-17 levels, eventually earning opportunities with Colombia’s U-15 and U-17 national teams.

In 2024, her performances with Atlético Nacional and Selección Antioquia began attracting the attention of national-team scouts. Although she was initially too young to join, her opportunity came the following year. After captaining Antioquia’s U-13 team in a tournament, she received an invitation to her first training camp with Colombia’s U-15 national team.

By September 2025, Isaza had earned a place on the team competing in the South American U-15 Championship. As captain, she helped lead Colombia to a third-place finish. Since then, her career has continued to develop, including appearances in Colombia’s professional league with Atlético Nacional and participation in South American tournaments at the U-17 level. However, behind these achievements is a demanding schedule that leaves little time for rest.

“After training, I go to school until 3:15 p.m. When I leave, I go home to do my homework and catch up on the classes I missed,” Isaza said.

After completing her assignments, she usually spends another hour at the gym before returning home for dinner, stretching, and recovery using compression boots. Her weekends are often filled with matches, trips across Colombia, or team stays in hotels in Medellín. With so many responsibilities, finding time for herself can be difficult.

As her soccer career continues to grow, keeping up with school remains one of her greatest challenges. Training sessions, tournaments, and national-team commitments frequently require her to miss classes. As a result, she must complete assignments independently and catch up on lessons whenever she has free time.

“I think the biggest challenge of balancing soccer and school is that I almost always have something to do. There are very few times when I can have some time for myself or spend time with my family and friends,” Isaza said.

Despite these challenges, Isaza has found support within the TCS community. According to her, teachers adjust deadlines, prepare additional assignments, and dedicate time to helping her understand the material covered during her absences. The school also allows her to use certain PE periods for academic work and grants excused absences for competitions. This support helps her continue her education while pursuing her soccer career.

Juanes Marín, Isaza’s PE teacher at TCS, has witnessed the discipline behind her achievements. He believes that although Isaza has natural talent, her success is also the result of years of hard work and dedication. Her experience playing with competitive teams has helped her develop as an athlete.

“Emiliana stands out because she was born with talent, but that talent is accompanied by discipline. She has always worked with league teams, and everything she has achieved so far has come through a lot of discipline,” Marín said.

According to Marín, Isaza’s commitment goes beyond the soccer field. She also works hard to maintain her academic performance while making time for her friends and family. Even with her demanding schedule, she continues to take her education seriously.

“Emiliana balances her academic workload through sacrifice because she has to complete her schoolwork during her free time. However, she also finds a balance between school, her friends, and her family. Despite these sacrifices, she is an excellent student,” Marín said.

Maintaining this balance requires planning and organization, especially when tournaments take Isaza away from school for several days. For example, when a tournament conflicts with a summative assignment or an exam, she has to communicate with her teachers to arrange another time to complete it. Although TCS provides academic support and flexibility, Isaza is responsible for organizing her schedule, completing assignments, and catching up on missed lessons. As a result, much of her free time is dedicated to schoolwork.

“It requires a lot of independent work. The school provides academic support, but Emiliana has to complete her assignments before leaving for tournaments. She is a very disciplined and organized student. Everyone who participates in high-performance sports is aware of the sacrifices involved,” Marín said.

These sacrifices are especially noticeable in Isaza’s personal life. While many students spend their afternoons relaxing or making plans with friends, she often has to focus on schoolwork, prepare for her next match, or recover from training. Although she tries to maintain a balance, there are times when her responsibilities come before spending time with the people she loves

Despite these challenges, Isaza continues to work toward her future goals. She hopes to represent Colombia’s senior national team, play professionally in Europe or the United States, and eventually build a career in soccer. She also dreams of winning South American championships and other international titles.

For now, her days remain divided between classrooms, training sessions, assignments, and competitions. While her achievements on the soccer field are impressive, they represent only one part of her story. Behind every match and tournament are hours of independent work, personal sacrifices, and the determination to succeed both as a student and as an athlete.

“Even though it can be exhausting sometimes, because it is what I love, I always find the energy I need to keep going,” Isaza said.