Our Key West High School (KWHS) girl’s lacrosse star, Isabella Marchiano, committed to Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) in West Palm Beach, Florida for their lacrosse program. With the commitment to the PBA team, Marchiano also received a sum of scholarship money for her education. 

As a junior at KWHS, Marchiano committed to a college earlier than the average high school athlete. Typically student-athletes commit during their senior year, considering all the offers possible. “I toured other schools and did prospect days at other colleges,” stated Marchiano. “I fell in love with PBA immediately after touring [the campus] and meeting the coach.”

Even before the lacrosse commitment, Marchiano considered PBA as one of her top five universities. “After touring and meeting with the [lacrosse] coach, PBA became my number one college choice,” disclosed Marchiano. 

Between the small college campus and teaching her major of interest, Marchiano felt a connection to PBA before her offer was granted. “The location is ideal: being close to home and on the water,” explained Marchiano. Already following PBA lacrosse, she has observed the “close-knit” family dynamic of the team, coach, and staff, falling in love with their PBA virtues. 

To the regular student’s eye, a college offer seems like a breeze, but each high school athlete knows that it is compared to a hurricane. “I first emailed the coaching staff through a recruiting site, NCSA. The coach set up a zoom call and viewed my gameplay and [statistics] on NCSA,” said Marchiano. “A month after our first zoom call, my family and I traveled to West Palm and visited the school, [while having] a face-to-face meeting with the coach.” Not long after, Marchiano went back up to PBA in January 2022 for a prospect day; an event set aside for the lacrosse coaches to see high school athletes in action.

Throughout the recruitment process, Marchiano was not alone, receiving guidance and support from her coaches and family. “I would like to thank my head [KWHS] coach Marisa Giacopuzzi and assistant coach Keisa Hamilton. Coach Marisa has been with me for almost all of my lacrosse career [and] has helped shape me into who I am on and off the field,” stated Marchiano. She continues, “I also want to thank my incredibly supportive parents for taking me to [practice] every day. My mom practices, coaches, and shares the same passion for lacrosse [with] me.”

Marchiano hopes she inspired other high school girls aspiring to play sports (like lacrosse) in college. Even when coming from a small island, Key West, Florida, she believes that you can be committed to the college of your dreams with the right amount of passion, drive, and effort put in, and Marchiano certainly proves her philosophy.