Hannah Edwards always had an affinity to move down South. So far, life is treating her well in the Sunshine State.

Edwards, one of the most renowned athletes in the Catasauqua High School athletic annals, is in her third year of being an academic counselor for football and gymnastics student-athletes at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She also assists with the coordination of the content tutoring program.

The former softball standout received her Bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Lehigh in 2020 and then obtained a Master’s degree in Education from Florida in April. At Catty, she was her class valedictorian, and always believed education would come into her life picture.

“I always have had a passion for helping people,” she said. “It was one of the reasons that I pursued being a physical therapy major in college.

“Now, I can help student-athletes extend their overall experience. It is about helping them take the next step in their lives.”

Like she did in her playing careers at Catty, the University of Pittsburgh, and Lehigh, Edwards is back on the big stage at Florida.

“This is a Power 5 school, and you can see the difference in the athletes,” she noted. “Dealing with athletes at an SEC school is a real challenge. They all have a very rigid schedule, and there is a high profile here.

“There is a great athletic side, but also a great academic side as well. As a counselor, I am always busy with the athletes, helping them to make the right choices. The SEC has a big push toward academics, and most of the athletes that I see are doing very well with their GPA and the aptitude score.”

Her move from the Lehigh Valley wasn’t a difficult choice.

“I definitely wanted to try and work in the South,” she said. “I was fortunate to get to attend the University of Florida. I wanted to be at a palace where there was a lot of sunshine. That’s what I love.”

The path to her current success wasn’t an easy one.

“There is a lot of work that goes into this, and it is a learning experience,” she said. “From there, you have to pass your experiences onto the student-athlete. It is an interesting and challenging experience.”

Along with transfers, Edwards also is dealing with the NIL, which stands for name, image, and likeness social media portal. On July 1, the NCAA implemented a policy allowing all incoming and current student-athletes the opportunities to earn money from NIL deals.

“It is in place, and a number of athletes have their deals,” she said. “We can’t provide any counsel about their deals. There is another support staff from football. As a counselor, we can see what the deals would look like.

“This is a big social media issue, and there is plenty of recruiting.”

Edwards has shelved any thoughts of pursuing softball in her future. The holder of state and school records, Edwards ended her career due to leg injuries at Lehigh after a transfer from Pittsburgh.

“Softball isn’t in my immediate future,” she stressed. “I am a competitive person, but I have found other outlets. I accomplished many things to help my teams, but it is behind me.

“When I didn’t play because of injuries, I began to figure out my identity. Helping student-athletes succeed is what I want to do.”

Edwards doesn’t see a career change anytime soon.

“I really love what I do,” she said. “This career has really opened up a lot of opportunities for me, and I’m living in the best climate. I’m going to work with a passion because I am helping people.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better right now.”

Like she has in the past, Edwards again has raised the bar in her environment.