Sarah Bradley has known exactly what she has wanted to do for a career since the eighth grade. The Saints Peter & Paul senior sees her future working in cybersecurity for the U.S. Department of Defense.
That's been her objective since attending a computer coding camp at Chesapeake College in 2015. “I have always wanted to do security related stuff,” says Bradley, who will major in computer science at Lewis University in Illinois while attending the school on a lacrosse scholarship. “I have always found coding very interesting. It's something I do on the side.”
Something else that is extremely important to the Wye Mills resident is giving back to the community. For the past four summers, Bradley, who carries a 3.5-grade point average, has worked as an aide at Camp Todd for Girl Scouts in Denton.
At her school, she is leading a campaign to help raise money for the Kenyan women's Under-19 lacrosse team that will be competing in the 2019 World Cup in Canada. Bradley's attitude and effort has gained the respect of the school's administration, along with her coaches and teammates. “She certainly wants to get the whole school involved,” former Saints Peter and Paul Athletic Director Tyler Larkin says. “She is not just asking for donations here and there. She wants to make it a year-long fundraiser.”
The 17-year-old Bradley learned about the needs of the Kenyan players through a poster at a lacrosse tournament in Bel Air. It caught her attention since Saints Peter & Paul Girls Lacrosse Coach Megan Wilbert was born in Kenya.
Bradley jumped at the opportunity to help the lacrosse players improve their team.
“If they get into the U-19 Championships, then they have the potential of getting an Olympic team in 2028,” Bradley explains. “They are on Instagram, and they seem to really love the sport. But it's a very poor country. They work for little or no money. They need help with equipment and training.”
Bradley's dedication to lacrosse seems to have grown every year, and she's ratcheted up her workout schedule the past two summers to make herself a better player. She trained especially hard this past summer, working out six days a week at Club One in Chester for an hour and a half per day.
“She is really doing a lot more than she did last year,” Wilbert says. “Last year, she did some CrossFit and a little bit of running. She is growing into having extreme confidence in herself, and it will transition into her senior year.”
Bradley, a starter at attack since her freshman year, is a strong candidate to be a lacrosse co-captain this spring. It seems like she's lobbied for the job. “She is already asking me how she can be a leader,” Wilbert says. “I see a lot of potential in her there.”
The 5-foot-5 Bradley had a memorable junior year. She ranked as the Sa es' second-leading scorer with 25 goals to earn first-team Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) honors. She only notched four goals as a sophomore.
Bradley's dramatic development between her sophomore and junior seasons led her into blossoming into a college-level type of player.
“This past season, she was faster, smarter, and stronger,” Wilbert recalls. “I played Division I lacrosse at Towson University, and I see a little bit of me in her. That passion and dedication she has are very hard to find.”
Bradley is a pretty good field hockey player, too. The tenacious defender was an ESIAC Honorable Mention All-Conference selection during her sophomore and junior years.
“She is intimidating and really goes after the ball,” Saints Peter & Paul Field Hockey Coach Suzanne McGettigan says. “She is our pivotal player on defense. She is an amazing defender, and a phenomenal athlete. She really works hard off and on the field.”
