In a ceremony attended by classmates and teammates, faculty, staff, administrators, and family, Laila Pasic ’24 formally signaled her intention to continue her field hockey career at Lafayette College during Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child’s Spring Signing Day on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Continuing her athletic career at the collegiate level is impressive enough, but the feat is even more remarkable given Pasic only began competing as a sophomore.

“Laila first picked up a stick at Oak Knoll, and her tenacity, hard work, and relentless effort allowed her to become a three-year varsity player,” said Oak Knoll Field Hockey Coach Ali Good. “Laila has true athletic abilities but also possesses the determination to earn a spot on a very talented field hockey field.

“She broke through the assumptions that you need to be a specialized athlete, that you need to play a sport from birth to be good at it,” Good added. “She’s the first student in all of my years of coaching that went from never having played a sport to being a committed Division 1 athlete.”

Pasic earned first-team all-county, third-team all-state, and first-team all-nonpublic honors, according to Dr. Kelly Childs, Oak Knoll’s Athletic Director, who organized and led the signing day event.  

Pasic, a two-sport athlete, has also been a captain of the varsity ice hockey team, earning similar accolades from Coach Meghan Cassidy, who particularly lauded Pasic’s ability to make the players around her better, in addition to her own impressive stats – 31 goals and 18 assists.

However, her accolades are not limited to the field or rink. Pasic is also a member of the school’s Oceanography Club and exhibits the Holy Child spirit of service through her participation in the Light the Candle Club, which makes birthday cards for children in foster care.

Pasic joins nine other members of the Class of 2024 from Oak Knoll who signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

Congratulations, Laila, and Go Royals!