OLYMPIA, Wash. – Finley Gimelli Hemme (Sr., F) from The Evergreen State College women's soccer team is the Evergreen Featured Athlete of the Week for May 15, 2026. Gimelli Hemme previously attended Evergreen High School in Seattle, Washington.

In four seasons with the Geoducks, Gimelli Hemme competed in 27 games with eight starts. They saw action in 13 games and made seven starts in the fall of 2025 after playing in just six games in 2024 due to an injury. Gimelli Hemme was chosen Academic All-Cascade Collegiate Conference in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

When stepping onto the field for the Geoducks, Gimelli Hemme brought energy and enthusiasm. They played with exceptional effort and desire that impacted the game and uplifted their teammates. Gimelli Hemme always seemed ready to compete.

"I think my positive attitude and perseverance are some of my strengths," Gimelli Hemme said. "I just go out onto the field, do my best, and play for the team. I push myself to work even when it's hard because I know that my teammates are pushing themselves, too. I don't want to let them, or myself, down. In the end, win or lose, I've got my girls next to me and they have my back."

Gimelli Hemme's enthusiasm for each game began well before the kickoff.

"Games make me nervous, so I do my best to keep things lighthearted," Gimelli Hemme commented. "I like to listen to some hype music with my team and watch as everyone gets their hair done. It's a good time to recap with the team, talk about how we are feeling mentally and physically, and get in a few laughs before we go off to battle."

Hard work and determination paid off for Gimelli Hemme, who has been competing in soccer for fewer years than many college players.

"My soccer career started in my junior year of high school as a goalkeeper," Gimelli Hemme recalled. "Now, as a senior in college, I play center forward or winger. I have had to work really hard to get where I am and be able to compete against girls who have been playing soccer the majority of their lives."

As they prepared to enter college, Gimelli Hemme found Evergreen to be a great choice. The college provided an exceptional opportunity to play soccer and pursue a college degree, all while staying close to home.

"Evergreen was able to offer me a chance to study marine biology and play soccer, which made it stand out against the multiple other schools I applied to," Gimelli Hemme said. "When I toured the campus for the first time, I had a really good feeling as I drove through the evergreen and maple trees. I also liked that it was close to my hometown for visits but far enough for me to have freedom and a chance to explore who I was as a person."

At Evergreen, Gimelli Hemme has indeed studied marine biology. They are now near the completion of their degree and will graduate at the end of the spring quarter. Even so, there is still academic work to complete.

"Currently, I am working on a group project to observe benthic diatoms in marine biofilm on a salinity gradient in the Puget Sound," Gimelli Hemme said. "We are trying to get a picture of both the diversity and quantity of benthic diatoms. We took samples in Steilacoom, Mud Bay, and Westport, gathering the top layer of sediment to bring back to the lab, clean and observe under the school's Olympus BX63 microscope.

"There have been many hiccups along the way, including getting stuck to my hips in the mud, but all in all, I have learned a lot and gained some valuable experience," Gimelli Hemme added.

Gimelli Hemme is glad to be a member of the Evergreen women's soccer team and really appreciates the time the team spends together.

"I love the community we have built. I know that all my teammates have my back, and even if we run into problems, we know how to put them aside to work together," Gimelli Hemme affirmed. "We all want to succeed, and we hold each other accountable because we are only as strong as our weakest player. I love having a space where I can show up as myself, no matter what kind of day I have had, and work hard toward a common goal. I feel supported and respected by all of my teammates, which is something that is pretty rare."

Many of Gimelli Hemme's activities away from soccer and academics still involve being outside.

"I enjoy being active out in nature," Gimelli Hemme noted. "I enjoy camping, hiking, swimming, just being outside really, moving my body. Now that soccer is done, I might go back to playing rugby or I might try something else. The other place you can probably find me is on the couch with my cat, watching a show with a snack. I also like puzzles and board games and craft projects."

After graduating from Evergreen, Gimelli Hemme plans to go on a road trip to see national parks in California and Utah. They also hope to return to Seattle and work as a nanny for a year before possibly moving to Florida. Ultimately, Gimelli Hemme wants to study sharks.

"I am interested in being a shark researcher," Gimelli Hemme commented. "Right now is a hard time to be a young scientist. There is very little funding for jobs in the field, and it is a hard year to go to grad school.

"I love sharks," Gimelli Hemme added. "They are strong resilient predators that have swum in our oceans for thousands of years and play an important role in the ecosystem. The next steps to follow that passion are getting more general lab and field skills and experience and then applying to grad school."