Alexis Hogarth continues to make Maryland proud

A native of Jarrettsville, Maryland, senior Alexis Hogarth decided to stay close to home for her college career as she became a Maryland Terrapin in 2017. “I think it adds a little extra pride to stay in Maryland. I’ve been repping the state since I started playing soccer, so why stop now I guess,” Hogarth told BGN. “Being home also has given me that extra support system of being able to have my family at almost every game, and also bringing other family members and friends.”

“I really enjoy how close it is to D.C. I am a big foodie and I love to discover new places and D.C is a great place for that. My other favorite thing about Maryland, in my experience, is the diversity. Although D.C is not in Maryland, the diversity that D.C and Baltimore have is awesome. I have lived in Maryland my whole life and I can say that I have either gone to school with or encountered so many different types of people on a daily basis, which is cool to see.”

With that proximity to D.C., Hogarth wasn’t too far away when history was being made as Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn in. She recalled, “It was special to see for the mere fact that on a national stage, people will see someone who is not a white man as the only people who can lead the country. It will be cool to always remember that an African-American and South-Asian American woman was the Vice President of the United States.”

Alexis continued, “I think it is also important to remember that just because a Black woman is VP, that it does not solve all the problems of systemic racism. Because America was built on racism, it’s going to take a long time before systemic racism will not be part of American culture. However, more and more, things are changing positively. It is heartbreaking that change is happening through tragedy (what happened in the summer of 2020), but I am trying to stay hopeful that it can happen.”

Hogarth has helped push positive change in the past as well, serving as a soccer camp counselor in Haiti back in 2012 when she was around 13 years old. “My older sister had to do community service hours for high school, but wanted to do something more than just volunteering around the Maryland area,” Alexis recalled. “My dad’s side of the family is Haitian, and after the massive earthquake in 2010, it felt right to help a country that is part of our identity.”

“As a way to help, my sister decided to create a soccer camp for the children in Jacmel, Haiti. We decided to collect clothes, cleats and other gear to be able to give to the city after the camp was over. The trip was very meaningful in that it helped me connect with people by doing something I love, which is soccer. It was cool to see the progression of the little girls to go from not being interested in soccer and at all, to actually playing against the boys at the camp and realizing they could beat them!”

With that experience under her belt, Hogarth is eager to do more. She explained, “I would love to do more charitable things/outreach in the future. I think that connecting with people in different ways, whether domestically or internationally, is important not to say that you helped, but also creates a learning experience of worlds outside your own.”

On Saturday, Hogarth and her Maryland teammates will finally get to experience competitive NCAA soccer again when they return to the pitch for the first time since 2019. She said, “I’m extremely excited! It’s weird to think that it has been that long since we have played a real game, so the more I think about that fact, the more excited I get. We ended the season with big accomplishments as a team and we hope to carry those goals and the energy into this Spring season.”

While the team has high expectations for this season, Alexis enters with the right individual mindset, too. “My personal goals would be to just stay focused and have fun,” she said. “Amongst all the uncertainty of the world right now, it will more important than ever as a senior to try and stay focused, control what I can control and enjoy this season as much as possible.”

No matter what happens on Saturday vs. Michigan State, it’s a sure thing that Alexis Hogarth has made her home state of Maryland proud as she wears the Terrapin colors.

Carson A Merk

Reporting live from Sin City, I have covered both RGVFC and Las Vegas Lights FC since their inceptions. I also write profiles to highlight players from the NCAA to USL to NWSL and everywhere in between.