Recent NSS grads begin collegiate scholarship careers

With every ending comes a new beginning. 

And for these remarkable recruits, they’re just getting started. 

Among the 2025 class of the National Sport School (NSS), 13 student-athlete graduates accepted scholarships from 12 post-secondary institutions to compete across five sports. 

“Achieving these placements reflects a student-athlete's hard work and perseverance,” says Leanne Topp, Vice Principal of the NSS. “On top of their regular sport and academics schedules, they and their families have made time over the last few years to find, communicate with, visit, and successfully apply to these schools.” 

Four will be swinging for the fences on the softball field: Danica Dominaux at Williston (N.D.) State College; Grace Gulutzan at Hill College in Hillsboro, Tex.; Tatum Nessman at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y.; and Paige Stecyk at Bellevue (Neb.) University. 

Remaining on Canadian soil and earning their stripes for Halifax’s Dalhousie Tigers are swimming sensation Olivia Hatch and soccer star Julia Simmons.  

Meanwhile, three NSS alumni will be making waves in the pool. Esme Abbadi-Macintosh will be diving into the action at the University of New Mexico; Kevin Kong has signed on to swim at Columbia University (N.Y.); and Rachel Wigginton will be testing the waters at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

A pair of recent grads are bound for the Lone Star State, with Skyler Chan packing up for the soccer pitch at the University of Dallas, and Senna Smith relocating with her tennis racquets to the University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa. 

Rounding out the group are Sara Kostic blasting backhands on UNC Greensboro’s tennis roster, and Kohen Yeske driving the fairways for the golf team at Rhodes College (Tenn.). 

“The NSS wishes each one of these student-athletes all the best,” Topp says. “May they enjoy all the new experiences that encompass their sport and their new academic homes.” 

Make that 13 more excellent examples of what can best be achieved at the WinSport-based NSS.  

With dorm rooms, dining halls, and degrees all to soon navigate, here’s to continued success in both their schooling and sport. 

After all, it’s the NSS way.