CHICAGO—Despite the postponement of fall sports to the spring, Illinois Institute of Technology women's soccer freshman Julianna Moore's short time on campus has gone smooth. 

"It's been amazing, I love my soccer teammates and how welcoming they've been," said Moore. "Obviously it's been different with everything going on with COVID, but it's definitely been a good time. I'm gonna be here for the next four years, so I look forward to keep exploring and make new friends." 

The Park Ridge, Illinois native's spring and summer months have been eventful between deciding on a college, playing soccer for the Park Ridge Hawks and dealing with uncertainty regarding COVID-19. She eyed several options on where to attend college before she settled on Illinois Tech. 

"I actually applied to 10 different schools," Moore said with a chuckle.

Perhaps the highlight of Moore's summer occurred when her Park Ridge Hawks participated in the PepsiCo. Showdown, but for reasons larger than soccer. Moore and teammates worked together off the field to help with charities, and those in need. Moore and other tournament participants used their platform to assist those affected by looting.

"My boss knows a lot of people around the city and when things like that happen, he reaches out to us student-athletes to let us know how we can help," said Moore. 

Tut's Foods, located in Chicago, was looted not once, but twice due to the protests against racial injustices. Moore and her teammates took it upon themselves to help resurrect the business by donating $1,000 following each occurrence. 

"It was really heartwarming to give them the money, because something terrible happened that shouldn't have," said Moore. "For the store's owners, it's their entire livelihood so it was super important for us to give back. It's something you wouldn't expect to happen twice in a row, but knowing we were able to make things better will be something I will never forget."

Moore and the Scarlet Hawks are set to open their 2020-21 season against Aurora University at Stuart Field on Wednesday, March 10.