Recent Grads From Pacific Go Pro

Julianna Ventura and Ethan Moss share their stories of playing sports professionally after graduating from Pacific.

Julianna Ventura is a 2023 Pacific Graduate. After her time as a Boxer, Ventura is now a member of the COFUTPA Palmares, a professional soccer team in Costa Rica. The team is a part of the Asocion Deportiva COFUTPA league, which was formed in 2011. As a member of the Pacific soccer team, Ventura played as a defender and earned Northwest Conference Second Team Honors.

The Index: What team do you play for?

Julianna Ventura: COFUTPA Palmares in the first division league in Costa Rica.

The Index: What position do you play?

JV: Center Back

The Index: How did you get connected with them?

JV: I have a friend who plays pro right now as well and she got me this connection with the team.

The Index: How has your experience as an athlete at Pacific University impacted your post-college playing experience?

JV: My senior year of college coach Chelsea Davis took over the program. Her view of soccer and her own experience encouraged me to play on post college. Also, my last year I pushed myself to the limit and played the best season I had of my collegiate career. With the help of my team and my coaches, I was able to develop more skills and continue the journey I am on right now.

The Index: Best part of playing after college?

JV:  The best part of leaving post college is being able to follow my dreams and continue to play the sport I love. Also, I am fortunate enough to be able to solely pay attention to soccer which helps me further develop my skills.

The Index: What are your goals? 

JV:  Honestly, I’ve achieved my goals of becoming a professional soccer player but I hope to continue playing and one dav advance to a more developed team in another country.”

The Index: Advice for athletes at Pacific?

Mv advice for athletes who would like to pursue playing after college is to keep working hard and talk to your coaches for advice. There are many opportunities available for people all over the world, it just takes dedication and hard work.”

Ethan Moss was a 2023 Pacific Graduate who was a member of the basketball team. After he graduated from Pacific, he now plays basketball in the Liga Artzit Division in Israel. Liga Artzit is the third division in Israeli basketball and holds 24 clubs, 12 in two separate divisions divided by North and South. The first two teams in each division are then promoted to the second division, Liga Leumit, as the bottom two teams get relegated to the fourth division, Liga Alef.

The Index: What team do you play for?

Ethan Moss: Hapoel Emek Hayarden in the Liga Artzit division of the Israeli Basketball League. 

The Index: What position do you play?

EM: Point guard.

The Index: How did you get connected with them?

EM: My agent is Trent Mayfield of All Around Athletes Agency. He represents many players even though he just started his agency not much more than a year ago. He is a Pacific graduate, class of ‘21, so you should shout him out as well. He is also my best friend and we grew up together in Los Angeles. He worked very hard for me and worked to find an Israeli partner agency that was able to connect us with multiple teams before the season started. Hapoel Emek Hayarden seemed to be the best fit for many different reasons.

The Index: How has your experience as an athlete at Pacific University impacted your post-college playing experience?

EM: The coaching staff at Pacific drills hard work and discipline into its players and being there for 5 years (extra year for COVID and injuries) really helped me build a great mindset to do anything in life. Our early morning and late night practices helped me build great time management skills and helped me become a more mentally tough player and person. I also missed two full seasons in my college career due to knee surgeries but I was still able to grow as a leader and as a player every year that I was a part of the program.  

The Index: Best part of playing after college?

EM: The best part is being able to travel the world and get paid to do something I love so much. It almost doesn’t feel real that I’m still able to play basketball and do it at a high level especially after many injuries and setbacks. I loved many parts of college but it’s also been very nice to just focus on basketball without any classes. 

The Index: What are your goals? 

EM: I am taking this season day by day but I am hoping to play as many years of professional basketball as possible. I want to win championships, awards, and be able to travel all over the word to play in different leagues and teams. As long as I’m healthy and focused, the sky is the limit.

The Index: Advice for athletes at Pacific?

EM: Just stay focused on your goals, listen to your coaches, and really hone in on your time management skills. Time is the most valuable asset in life, so make sure to use it wisely. Also make sure to take care of your body and your mind, and you’ll be able to accomplish anything you set your mind to. — Avari Schumacher