Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at East Carolina on October 2, 2025 at 7 p.m.
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Photo by: JC Ridley
Stella Rubidoux - From The Academy To Paradise
4/7/2025 2:06:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Florida Atlantic soccer player Stella Rubidoux is a prime example of discipline and personal growth. After two seasons at the United States Air Force Academy, where she began her collegiate soccer career, Rubidoux transferred to FAU as a student. It only took one semester for Rubidoux to find her way, not only onto the roster, but into the starting lineup where she has been a consistent piece for the Owls' defense.
There was no time to adjust to college for Rubidoux as a freshman at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She and her fellow classmates were thrust into six weeks of basic training before academics or athletics could take place. 5:45 a.m. wake up calls and extremely strict schedules were the new norm for Rubidoux. Self-discipline, time management, and a new perspective were the biggest strides that Rubidoux took way from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
"I can see the purpose of the things that we were told to do. I can see that, yes, it is difficult or challenging now, but there is the other side of that where we grow and get better." Said Rubidoux.
Family is a priority for Rubidoux, and it was one of the sacrifices she had to make during her first two years of college. There was no time to go home on weekends or on days off like most other college students. Three weeks were allotted in the summer to spend time with family. As the youngest of five siblings, she struggled, especially not seeing her family during tough mental trials.
"Being at home, eating dinner with my family, going on bike rides, and watching the sunset all mean so much to me. I just love my family and love spending time with them."
Now, family time is easier to find, in fact, there's more time in general for her nowadays. She recalls consistently getting less than five hours of sleep in order to fit everything into her schedule. Each day Rubidoux would have four or five classes, squad meetings, mandatory mealtimes, practice, and weight training. In between and after all these events, she would have to find time to complete her homework. She describes finding time for each task as "nearly impossible."
The East Coast was intriguing to the California native, and after visiting campus, FAU felt like the perfect fit. Her love for soccer dwindled, so after entering the transfer portal, Rubidoux decided she would not continue with her collegiate soccer career. The void of no soccer was a foreign experience for an individual who had been playing soccer for as long as she could remember. Not only was the sport missing, but so were the immediate friendships that it brought. She learned to enjoy being by herself, strengthened her faith, and matured greatly during this semester.
During the fall of 2023, in an attempt to fill the void, Rubidoux joined the club soccer team. This is what made her truly realize how much she was missing the sport. She decided to reach out to the Florida Atlantic coaching staff for the chance. She seized her opportunity in her tryout, earning a spot on the roster for the spring 2024 semester. Rubidoux went on to start in every game (18) in her third collegiate season, and first at FAU, and is now a part of the team's leadership group.
Rubidoux's final collegiate season will begin in the fall of 2025. She is on track to graduate this spring with a Bachelors of Science in Geoscience with a focus in Geography and an advanced Geographic Information Systems certificate. She is looking forward to furthering her education, pursuing a master's degree in Geoscience with a focus in Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing. Professional soccer is an aspiration, as she is looking to play for as long as she enjoys it. Career-wise, Rubidoux is going to take her skills into mapping, spatial data software, and satellite imagery analysis and aspires to work in defense-related positions.
Gallery: (4-7-2025) Stella Rubidoux
There was no time to adjust to college for Rubidoux as a freshman at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She and her fellow classmates were thrust into six weeks of basic training before academics or athletics could take place. 5:45 a.m. wake up calls and extremely strict schedules were the new norm for Rubidoux. Self-discipline, time management, and a new perspective were the biggest strides that Rubidoux took way from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
"I can see the purpose of the things that we were told to do. I can see that, yes, it is difficult or challenging now, but there is the other side of that where we grow and get better." Said Rubidoux.
Family is a priority for Rubidoux, and it was one of the sacrifices she had to make during her first two years of college. There was no time to go home on weekends or on days off like most other college students. Three weeks were allotted in the summer to spend time with family. As the youngest of five siblings, she struggled, especially not seeing her family during tough mental trials.
"Being at home, eating dinner with my family, going on bike rides, and watching the sunset all mean so much to me. I just love my family and love spending time with them."
Now, family time is easier to find, in fact, there's more time in general for her nowadays. She recalls consistently getting less than five hours of sleep in order to fit everything into her schedule. Each day Rubidoux would have four or five classes, squad meetings, mandatory mealtimes, practice, and weight training. In between and after all these events, she would have to find time to complete her homework. She describes finding time for each task as "nearly impossible."
The East Coast was intriguing to the California native, and after visiting campus, FAU felt like the perfect fit. Her love for soccer dwindled, so after entering the transfer portal, Rubidoux decided she would not continue with her collegiate soccer career. The void of no soccer was a foreign experience for an individual who had been playing soccer for as long as she could remember. Not only was the sport missing, but so were the immediate friendships that it brought. She learned to enjoy being by herself, strengthened her faith, and matured greatly during this semester.
During the fall of 2023, in an attempt to fill the void, Rubidoux joined the club soccer team. This is what made her truly realize how much she was missing the sport. She decided to reach out to the Florida Atlantic coaching staff for the chance. She seized her opportunity in her tryout, earning a spot on the roster for the spring 2024 semester. Rubidoux went on to start in every game (18) in her third collegiate season, and first at FAU, and is now a part of the team's leadership group.
Rubidoux's final collegiate season will begin in the fall of 2025. She is on track to graduate this spring with a Bachelors of Science in Geoscience with a focus in Geography and an advanced Geographic Information Systems certificate. She is looking forward to furthering her education, pursuing a master's degree in Geoscience with a focus in Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing. Professional soccer is an aspiration, as she is looking to play for as long as she enjoys it. Career-wise, Rubidoux is going to take her skills into mapping, spatial data software, and satellite imagery analysis and aspires to work in defense-related positions.
Players Mentioned
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