The field fell silent.
Thijs Veldhorst readied himself at the penalty spot as his teammates locked their arms behind him, watching intently.
At that moment, he stood under the lights with eyes waiting for what would happen next.
Every third week of October, National Transfer Student Week brings attention to students finding new beginnings, especially midyear transfers like Veldhorst, who learned that starting over meant proving his leadership again.
In spring 2024, Veldhorst arrived at Montgomery College halfway through the academic year with the soccer season long over. The business administration major from the Netherlands left Washington Adventist University for a two-year track at MC, where he would graduate in spring 2025.
Most transfer students start fresh in the fall, but transferring to realign his goals was anything but a plan.
“It was a bit of an impulse decision in my last year of high school,” Veldhorst said. “I came to MC to show myself even more.”
When the men’s soccer team came together for its first summer practice in 2024, Veldhorst saw that earning trust at MC would take more effort. The team’s culture came with new expectations, clear in how players carried themselves on the field.
“There was already a pecking order, an order of hierarchy within the team,” he said. “I had to work my way into the team from the bottom to get the respect from my teammates, from the coach, and to get playing time.”
It was a change from his earlier experience at WAU, where there was less turnover and a stronger sense of familiarity.
After setting foot on Rockville campus’s Alcus Field, Veldhorst knew he had to prove he belonged before leading, but turning that confidence into leadership would take time in his new role with the MC Raptors.
“I would say that I am a natural leader,” he said. “When I talk to my teammates, if they tell me something they believe in and I disagree, I will tell them flat out. I always do it in the way we talk to each other.”
He learned that fitting in and leading at MC meant more than being blunt; listening, adjusting, and building trust were key on a team more focused on individual performance than chemistry.
The pressure to prove himself came at a price after the whistle.
Veldhorst sometimes overlooked the moments his teammates needed his support instead of focusing on securing his role.
“One of the things I regret here a little bit as a captain of MC was in my fall semester when I was just too focused on myself,” he said, his head slightly lowered but his gaze steady.
Understanding when to step back was a process, but the realization pushed him to reassess his approach to leadership.
Veldhorst began to notice his own growth in relating to others around him, gradually shifting how he led both on and off the field, realizing that stepping in as co-captain was more than representing the team on game days.
The midyear transfer became determined to listen to the voices around him more closely, seeking out feedback he once pushed away.
Transferring from WAU to MC put Veldhorst in a position to take the next step, committing to West Virginia University by February 2025.
That growth had already shown itself under pressure: standing alone at the penalty spot, under lights, in silent tension.
He took a breath, faked left, and sent the ball into the net in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 20 quarterfinal match.
As he stepped back, he looked toward the net and then to the scoreboard. Only after the score changed did he turn away.
There was no celebration; just acknowledgment, followed by a slow walk back to midfield.
The November 2024 home match closed a season that transformed Veldhorst from a newcomer to co-captain in his only season at MC.
Now at WVU, the former Raptor walks into another unfamiliar locker room with a widened perspective, encouraging his teammates and applying lessons as he begins his first Division I season.
“You’re going to make mistakes,” he said. “You’re going to fail, but the best thing you can do is self-reflect and learn.”
The field fell silent again, but this time, as a second-time transfer student, Veldhorst is ready to step forward so others know they belong, too.
