From the time junior forward Alyssa Jara stepped onto Creighton’s campus, she has been a contributor for the Bluejays’ women’s soccer team.

In her third season with the Jays, the Folsom, Calif., native is seoncd on the team in goals scored (five), shots on goal (17) and points (12). Jara also has two assists and is one of seven Bluejays to start each game.

Jara’s biggest honor so far, though, is being named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week for Sept. 8-14.

Jara led her club team in high school to the National Championship in 2008 and has brought that same winning mentality to the pitch here at Creighton.

“High school was fun and games,” Jara said. “I have grown up year to year with discipline, maturity and experience.”

The team see Jara as a different sort of leader than most would expect. She is a quiet person that lets her actions speak for her.

“I am always working hard and believe that my actions speak louder than my works,” Jara said. “I think that by always hustling, others will do the same and the same goes for playing hard during the game.”

Fellow junior Alissa Kohmetscher agrees that Jara leads by example.

“[Jara] is always hustling and just has that spark that makes you want to push yourself as well,” Kohmetscher said. “She is always going hard, and that makes you want to keep up with her.”

Jara credits her success this year to reflection as well. She spends her time in though after every game to gain a better understanding of what she had success doing on the field and also what she failed to do. Jara carries her knowledge gained from reflection into the following game in order to better herself.

Along with being a hard worker on the pitch, Jara understands the most important part of college is academics. The Big East travel really does put stress on the “student” par of “student athlete.”

“I use the required study hall hours each week to my advantage as well as time on the road coach [Erickson] sets aside,” Jara said, “but the travel across the country does add some pressure to the classroom.”

Pressure to perform nothing new to Jara who finds a way to succeed on and off the field as a quality student athlete.