Student-Athlete of the Month: Gracie Ciuba

Gracie Ciuba has gained a lot from her time in Severna Park. She’s been determined to turn that right back around.

The Falcon senior didn’t really play lacrosse before moving to Severna Park nearly 10 years ago. She was a soccer specialist, but she quickly realized how big the sport was here and that it was a fast way to make new friends.

“I started playing three years after I moved out here because my friends were doing it, but then it kind of took over from soccer because it was such a big deal out here,” Ciuba said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be fed into a high school where everyone is so good at lacrosse. Playing with girls like Maria (Bragg) and my good friend Bella (Mazzola), they’re so good. Being on varsity for the first time last year, it’s such a big jump, but having girls with so much knowledge about the sport and coaches with big ties to the program … it’s great to have those resources when you’re playing in such a good program.”

Ciuba had a steep learning curve to pick up lacrosse, having started so much later than her peers. But she has evolved into a capable midfielder in her own right and will take her talents back to her old stomping grounds. She will play collegiately at American University in the nation’s capital.

She hopes to use the skills she’s picked up in Severna Park to dovetail with her experience growing up in Washington, D.C. in forging a meaningful career down the road.

Ciuba carries a 4.2 GPA and is a member of four organizations and clubs at Severna Park: National Business Honor Society and Best Buddies – she serves as an officer in both – and National Honor Society and OneLove. Outside of school, she serves as a coach for the seventh-grade team at Maryland United Lacrosse Club.

But it’s Best Buddies that has most of her attention and imagination as she moves forward, with an aim to study political science at American and use that to potentially work in advocacy spaces.

“I grew up in D.C. and I know the area. We have a lot of friends in D.C., and one of them is a lobbyist, which I find interesting. I love public speaking and sharing my opinions, so I think (political science) would be an interesting thing,” Ciuba said. “Coming into high school was my first experience (with Best Buddies), but it’s something I’m passionate about both in the school and in the community.

“Taking on a leadership role was important because it kind of dies out (senior year) for a lot of people because they don’t want to stay around for the club (with a senior early release). But making those connections has been important to me because if I continue on in a career with government, maybe I can do something that advocates for special needs.”