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F ifth-year soccer player and computer science graduate student Kelsey Musolf has become a standout leader in UCR athletics, both on and off the field. Raised in San Jose, California, Musolf began playing soccer at age 5, fully committing to the sport in high school. Her coach and mentor, Eric Paulson, helped shape her approach to the game, she said, reminding her that “soccer can be both competitive and enjoyable” and she didn’t have to give up one for the other.

After high school, Musolf was recruited by the UCR women’s soccer team, starting three games her first year and joining the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She started 13 games her second year and helped rebuild the SAAC program to boost engagement following the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her third year at UCR, Musolf tore her ACL and was sidelined for the season. Despite the setback, she remained active in athletics and was named president of SAAC, where she worked with coaches to implement events and initiatives aimed at strengthening the student-athlete experience. In her fourth year, Musolf was named captain of the soccer team and continued her duties as SAAC president. She graduated in March 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and is now pursuing a master’s at UCR.

A member of the Society of Women Engineers, Musolf said she balances her competitive spirit with coding, often drawing from her experience as an athlete and applying it to schoolwork as well as the many hackathons she’s participated in. After graduating, Musolf plans to pursue a career in coding but will continue playing soccer in her free time.

Her advice to young athletes? “Keep the joy of the game alive. Don’t compare yourself to others and focus on your own growth.”