Teresa Zentko was recently named one of 20 recipients of the Stephen C. Matula Scholarship. Teresa has distinguished herself both on and off the soccer field, demonstrating a strong commitment to her heritage, academics, and community.
A resident of Mount Olive, New Jersey, Teresa is a neuroscience major at The George Washington University, where she also plays club soccer. In the spring of 2024, she had the extraordinary honor of representing Slovakia at an international level, playing with the Slovak Women’s U-17 National Soccer Team during a training camp in Antalya, Turkiye. Over ten days, the team trained and played two friendlies against Turkiye, earning a 1–0 win and a 0–0 draw.
“I’ll never forget the feeling when the final whistle blew after our victory,” Teresa recalled. “The excitement and pride of celebrating a well-deserved win with my teammates is something that will forever be engraved in my memory.”
Teresa’s journey to the national team began years earlier on a much smaller field. She started playing soccer in second grade and went on to compete at the club level with the STA MOSC 2007 GA NAL team. With encouragement from her coach, she sent a highlight reel to the Slovak national team coach and, after obtaining dual citizenship, was selected for the February 2024 training camp. “It felt surreal to merge my lifelong passion for soccer with my Slovak heritage,” she said. “I was proud to honor my parents and the generations before me.”
Playing for the Slovak National Team was transformative. “The camp pushed me to test my limits while helping me grow as both a player and as an individual,” Teresa said. Despite speaking Slovak fluently, forming friendships took time. But soccer became a universal language that bridged cultural gaps. “The friendships I made are as meaningful as the memories we shared on the pitch.” Teresa’s connection to her heritage extends far beyond sports. Summers spent in Slovakia with her grandparents allowed her to learn traditional skills such as gardening, mixing herbal remedies, and baking Babkine koláče. “Those small but meaningful moments gave me lessons I could not have learned anywhere else: how to be resourceful, think practically, and appreciate the beauty in simplicity,” she reflected.
Her dedication to preserving Slovak language and culture is evident in her earning the Seal of Biliteracy, and her involvement in the Slovak Farmers Club and FCSU Branch 746, where she helps organize cultural events and supports younger members in learning Slovak traditions.
Teresa’s Catholic faith also plays a central role in her life, teaching her values of patience, forgiveness, and service. She has served as an altar server and Sunday school teacher’s assistant, experiences that shaped her understanding of leadership: showing up consistently, helping quietly, and leading by example.
These lessons extend to her school and community involvement. Teresa also acted as Vice President of her Class Council, organized community drives, and founded her school’s
chapter of The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission (TEEEM). In that role, she led initiatives to support Ukrainian communities affected by war, raising funds to rebuild a primary school and provide winter supplies. “With Eastern European roots, I felt a personal responsibility to act,” she said. “In times of crisis, we don’t look away; we support one another.”
Teresa has challenged herself academically, taking nine AP classes, earning both the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Scholar with Distinction, and joining seven honor societies. She has conducted original research on emotional memory in children and completed medical internships, with the goal of pursuing a career in neurology and working with organizations like Doctors Without Borders.
As Teresa continues to pursue her academic and athletic goals, she shares, “The education I pursue, the leadership roles I take on, and the communities I serve are all rooted in the values my Slovak heritage and Catholic faith instilled in me – gratitude, integrity, and compassion.” Her story shows how dedication, leadership, and pride can help shape future leaders.