A pair of Marion girls soccer players will further their athletic and academic careers in the fall. Class of 2025 graduates Alyson Munoz and Gia Paccasassi signed letters of intent on Tuesday afternoon, locking in their post-graduation plans. Munoz will join the women's program at Dallas College-Eastfield, while Paccasassi will enroll at Southwest Tennessee Community College. “I couldn't be more proud of these two girls for continuing to work hard and represent our school well,” said Marion girls soccer coach Jamie White. “Alyson and Gia are able to play in college because they always went above and beyond, both training for soccer, and by being great teammates. They're also both great students, and that's what we really love for our kids to be are true student-athletes, who excel on the field and in the classroom.” Munoz arrives at Dallas College after turning in her best season this past spring. “I'm really excited to live in a big city and see everything that it has to offer,” said Munoz. “I'm excited about it, but I'm also nervous. Change can be really good, and I think it will be in this case.” Munoz, who in 2024 earned the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy for demonstrating proficiency in English and one or more languages before her high school graduation, was one of just 774 high school students in Arkansas to earn that honor. “Academically, they're getting an extremely strong student,” said White. “As an athlete, they're getting a woman who has a real sense of feel. She's a great teammate, always supporting and raising up her teammates. She was one of our stronger passers. She will really show out for them.” Dallas College-Eastfield plays soccer in the fall, and the Harvester Bees finished 5-10 a season ago, with a 2-6 mark in league play. Paccasassi's journey to Southwest Tennessee, located in Memphis, was already decided during the spring of her senior year, though her soccer adventure is a more recent development. The senior, who scored a goal in her final high school soccer match in a victory over West Memphis, had decided a while ago that she was going to study nursing at Southwest Tennessee, and once she had almost everything settled at school, she earned a spot on the soccer club. “I never thought that this would be me in a million years signing to play in college,” said Paccasassi. “I'd already planned on going there, and was excited about it, now I get to continue to play the game that I love, go to the school that I want to be at. I'm just so thankful and grateful today.” “As long as I've known Gia, she's been interested in healthcare, and she got a great head start on that track here,” said White. “Gia was a terrific teammate and a big help to us coaches. She's always encouraging on and off the field. She'd always stay after, check the bus, just doing stuff that a lot of kids wouldn't normally think about. She's just a really rare young person, and I couldn't be more proud of her.” The Southwest Tennessee Salukis compete in NJCAA Division 1 and are coached by Shawn Loth.