SOMERS, N.Y. - After graduating from Somers High School, Julia Schmidberger chose the College of Staten Island. Known for its strong academics, the college kept the biochemistry major busy on two different fields of play. While only one sport worked out as planned, it led to an even greater opportunity.
"It didn't go great," she said of her soccer experience. Conversely, her success in flag football earned the 2025 Somers graduate a scholarship to Manhattan University, where she will play wide receiver this fall.
Even so, Schmidberger doesn't consider her soccer season a disappointment.
"I met some really good people and had a great time," she said.
Appearing in just one game didn't shake her confidence either. A mindset instilled by her parents kept her focused.
"You can always try to be better than what's assumed of you," said the future Jasper.
Giving 110 percent and putting in extra work before and after practice came naturally.
"In the spring, I played well and probably would have continued to play in our conference games in the fall," Schmidberger said.
Flag football ultimately changed those plans. After playing club flag football during the fall and performing well, she found herself on the radar of Manhattan University. Her future head coach was also the College of Staten Island club coach, and after accepting the job at Manhattan, he already knew exactly what she could do.
"He was like, 'I want you to come to Manhattan,'" she recalled.
The College of Staten Island's spring flag football season also ended on a high note. Despite earning the seventh seed in an eight-team tournament, the Dolphins upset Rutgers in the second round.
"It was back and forth. Rutgers has a lot of nationally ranked girls," Schmidberger said.
Although Staten Island lost in the next round, she has no regrets.
"I have no regrets," she said.
Her journey in flag football has also been an evolving one. She began playing center, moved to middle linebacker and eventually found her home at wide receiver.
"My coach then changed my recruitment profile," she said.
Now Manhattan will benefit from her reliable hands.
Of course, Schmidberger also excelled in the classroom. In addition to attending the College of Staten Island, she was accepted into the prestigious Macaulay Honors College.
"All the students there have a home campus, and mine was CSI," she explained. "It's pretty selective. I think the acceptance rate my year was 7%, and it's a liberal arts-based program to create the next leaders of NYC."
Her 4.0 GPA reflected the academic foundation she built at Somers.
"There's definitely high academic standards at Somers, and it prepared me for college," she said.
As a result, most of her coursework proved manageable, although one class took her outside her comfort zone.
"It took some adjustment for the seminar courses I took at Macaulay," said Schmidberger, who hopes to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine.
One philosophy seminar challenged students to examine immigration and the arts in New York City.
"They sent us to Broadway, they sent us to the ballet and to the opera," she recalled.
The thought-provoking course required students to understand and argue multiple perspectives.
"The course taught me a lot about how to present myself in front of an audience," Schmidberger said.
She also found her own niche socially.
"I went to one party, and that was it," she joked.
Instead, she and her friends created their own fun.
"We just decided we're going to have our own fun," Schmidberger said. "So we did a lot of café hopping."
As she prepares to transfer to Manhattan University in a few weeks on a scholarship that will cover most of her tuition, Schmidberger credits one person for helping set her on this path.
Katie DiChiaro, who helped launch flag football at Somers and convinced Schmidberger to give the sport a try, made a lasting impact.
"There were times as captain and as a player where I really struggled. She always knew how to uplift us," Schmidberger said.
Her appreciation extends beyond her own experience.
"There always needs to be somebody like that in the world," Schmidberger said. "What if this girl can be the next Simone Biles, and they just need a little support?"
Schmidberger believes that support helped shape her own journey.
"I owe it all to her," she concluded.
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