Episcopal Academy grad Ashley Sessa is named to the U.S. Olympic women’s field hockey roster

At 19 years old, Ashley Sessa can say she’s an Olympian.

The Schwenksville native was named Tuesday to the U.S. Olympic women’s field hockey roster for the 2024 Paris Games.

“I’m ecstatic. I’m so excited,” Sessa told The Inquirer. “This means absolutely everything. You work so hard for it, and it’s every kid’s dream. It means everything. Now that it’s finally out, you can breathe a little bit, but there’s no time to hold back. Now’s the time to really put in all the effort.”

Sessa, a forward and midfielder who played one season at North Carolina, found out she made the roster on Monday at her home. She opened the email from Team USA with her mother, then called her brother and the rest of the family to share the news.

Becoming an Olympian has always been the goal for Sessa, who started playing the game at age 8 for WC Eagles, one of the nation’s top-ranked clubs, in Chester County. The Episcopal Academy graduate had her first experience with USA Field Hockey at age 14, when she was selected to play on the junior national team.

Her commitment level instantly changed.

Last year, Sessa helped North Carolina to an undefeated season and its 10th NCAA field hockey championship. She received a waiver from school this year to train with the national team, which was preparing for Olympic qualifiers. Later, Sessa announced that she’ll be transferring to Northwestern this fall.

“The commitment piece definitely paid off, and I would do it again for this outcome,” Sessa said. “But it’s hard — your identity is your sport. I think not being home and not being able to see my friends so often has been hard, but also you get so much closer to your teammates and you learn so much about them than you would normally know.

“When I was playing hockey at WC Eagles, it was a such a big-time commitment. I missed a lot of holidays with my family for showcases, but now it has a meaning to it, and it all came back full circle.”

» READ MORE: ‘I want to see how far I can go’, UNC commit Ashley Sessa has eyes set on becoming an Olympian

In January, Sessa helped her team knock off Japan, 2-1, in the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifier in Ranchi, India, to clinch a spot in Paris. She was named player of the match.

Her goal heading to Paris is to be an impact player. She’s the youngest to be named to the roster, although her age has not stopped her before.

“I want to keep growing as a player,” Sessa said. “You’re on the biggest stage as an athlete. It’s very nerve-racking. There’s so much going on. You’re staying in a village with all the best athletes in the world, then putting your 110% best effort out on the field — I can’t wait to see how it goes down.”