Rising Stars Academy

RISING STARS ACADEMY

The future of Philadelphia is bright on and off the pitch. Philadelphia Soccer 2026 hosted the Rising Stars Academy, an immersive three-week program that provided local college students hands-on experience, mentorship, and career development ahead of FIFA World Cup 26™. 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The program featured 24 students representing 11 colleges and universities across the region, including:

 

Arcadia UniversityPenn State AbingtonUniversity of Delaware
Drexel UniversityRowan UniversityVillanova University
Haverford CollegeRutgers University-CamdenWidener University
Holy Family UniversityTemple University 

 

 

As part of the cohort, participants learned from Philadelphia Soccer 2026 executives and city leaders, enjoyed educational off-site visits to Lincoln Financial Field, Xfinity Mobile Arena, and City Hall, and completed a social impact project.

Students were also paired with individual mentors to further develop valuable skills and cultivate deeper connections.

 

Program Participants

Meet Philadelphia Soccer 2026's Rising Stars!

Amelia
Erb
Temple University
Anika
Knight
Widener University
Bianca
Whatts
Villanova University
Carlos
Solorzano
Villanova University
Edmund
Lewis
Holy Family University
Emily
Barahona
Rowan University
Ethan
Ginsberg
Arcadia University
Hebert
Lima
Temple University
Jack
Robertson
Temple University
Jerel
Laws-Mosley
Villanova University
Kabir
Hinduja-Obregon
Haverford College
Kaitlin
Meenan
Widener University
Kamira
Hoover
Temple University
Khamani
Wade
Rutgers-Camden University
Krish
Patel
Penn State Abington
Labib
Khan
Temple University
Leah
Stein
Temple University
Max
Spingler
Widener University
Nancy
Christiaens
Temple University
Natalie
Kazanjian
University of Delaware
Phebe
Herlocher
Drexel University
Rod
Pobre
Villanova University
Samantha
Ammons
Temple University
Sonndy
Exantus
Rowan University