NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — East Hartford High School senior soccer player Tajiah Seals has committed to the Iona College women’s team. It’s an unlikely path for Seals, who began life by being put up for adoption. After bouncing around several different foster homes, William and Sarah Seals adopted her when she was just 13 months old. Unfortunately, her troubles didn’t end there. As a child, Seals felt different from other kids and endured teasing and harassment for being adopted. Classmates would ask her why she didn’t look like her parents and she had difficulty answering them. Seals didn’t know how to respond and stand up for herself in those types of situations and she was forced to develop a thick skin at an early age.

The young girl turned to sports and at first thought she would become a runner. At 6 years old, however, Seals tried soccer for the first time and instantly knew it was the right fit. She loved everything about it, including the feeling of being on the field, the players and the sport itself. She eventually moved into club soccer and is currently a defender on the CFC girls Elite Clubs National League team.

Seals started high school at East Catholic, but after encountering challenges both on the team and at the school, she transferred to East Hartford High as a sophomore. Since then, she has excelled, playing four games for the Hornets this year, (1-5-0) and scoring three goals as well as an assist. Seals advises kids who experience adversity to be their own role models, instead of emulating others. It’s a strategy that’s certainly worked in her own life.

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