Liberal Studies to the defensive line: Alyson Azevedo ’22 embraces life’s unexpected plays
If you had asked Alyson Azevedo when she arrived at Sonoma State in 2018 where she saw herself in a few years, playing on the defensive line for a professional women’s tackle football team, the Golden State Storm, might not have been at the top of the list.
But as demonstrated by her path since her time at SSU, Azevedo has never been afraid to take a bold leap.
Azevedo grew up in Gustine, a small Central Valley town nestled among what she described as “farms and minuscule towns.” When she first stepped onto the Sonoma State campus, she thought she might major in computer science. That plan changed quickly.
Drawn to the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies’ discussion-based curriculum and interdisciplinary approach, Azevedo immersed herself in the demanding but rewarding Hutchins experience, graduating in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and her teaching credential.
Azevedo credits Professors Eric McGuckin and Ianthe Brautigan Swensen with broadening her worldview and helping her sharpen her writing skills.
The seminar-based program’s intensity—requiring students to delve deeply into complex topics—requires discipline and no small amount of self-direction.
“My major, and being in Hutchins, helped me learn to balance my time,” she said. “We would read 13 or 14 books a semester, and it was necessary to develop good time and calendar management skills,” adding wryly of her life today, “Mainly I teach, and then I am off to train or to the gym.”
After SSU graduation, Azevedo taught in Santa Rosa schools for two years before returning closer to home to teach fourth grade in Tracy. Teaching is her full-time job — but it’s no longer her only commitment.
Last year, she saw that the Bay Area was getting its first Women’s National Football Conference team. Azevedo said she grew up loving the game, even though she had never played competitively.
In October, she showed up for tryouts — one of many women chasing a roster spot. Many of the women at tryouts had played youth flag or tackle football, or came from sports like soccer or rugby.
Azevedo’s athletic background looked different: high school golf, 10 years of dance, and, more recently, distance running. By December, though, she had earned a spot on the Storm.
On the current roster, Azevedo is part of the Storm's defensive line.
Balancing her two roles takes coordination and some serious drive time. On weekdays, she commutes from her classroom in Tracy to team practices in Fairfield. On weekends, she drives from Gustine to stadium practices — and soon, game days – in Oakland.
Her fourth-graders are some of her biggest fans and followed her odyssey through tryouts with great enthusiasm. When she told them she had made the team and would be signing with the Storm, she said her classroom erupted in screams of delight.
“The surprising part for me is how quickly I’ve gained confidence coming in as a rookie; even since last fall I realize I hold myself in a different way,” she said, adding, “It helps that the other women on the team and my coaches are extremely supportive.”
The Storm’s 2026 season opens on March 28 with a home game at Laney Field in Oakland against the San Diego Rebellion. Seawolves are invited to use the promo code STORM98 for a discount on tickets.