Ariana and Kattiana Ealy-Pulido Are Embracing The Journey

At first, transferring from Texas State to a much larger university, hundreds of miles away on the east coast, seemed like a daunting task for Ariana and Kattiana Ealy-Pulido. 

The journey presented itself with challenges and new hurdles. Yet, the Ealy-Pulido's were able to thrive once they got to College Park, making immense progress both on the track and in the classroom. 

The Ealy-Pulidos had decided to enter the transfer portal before this academic year, seeking a new opportunity and a place that could one day feel like home. After researching available options, Kattiana Ealy-Pulido decided to reach out to Maryland head track and field coach Andrew Valmon. 

"Initially how I found out about Maryland was when my sister and I decided to [enter] the portal. We wanted to go to a bigger school. I was doing a little bit of research and I actually emailed coach Valmon. I was like I'm interested in this school and I think [it'd] be a great fit for me," said Kattiana.

For Ariana Ealy-Pulido, her journey to being a Terp was slightly different. After initially wanting to stay in Texas, Ariana fell in love with the University of Maryland after attending a visit with her twin sister. 

"My sister wanted to stay in Texas. Once Coach Valmon found out I had a twin sister, he was like, ‘Oh, is your sister interested? We would love to have her,’ and that's when she came on my visit as well. We both enjoyed the visit and then once the visit was over, we just fell in love with the school," said Kattiana. 

At first, making the transition to the University of Maryland presented challenges both on and off the track. However, the Ealy-Pulidos were surrounded by the excellent support system of their parents, other student-athletes, and spending time participating in the FCA. 

"We transitioned to a new school on the east coast. It was very hard for us," said Ariana. 

"We definitely relied on our parents a lot. Being that we come from a Christian background, we definitely seek them for guidance. Through mini prayers and talks, we really relied on them for their support. We would call them whenever we felt homesick. Our parents have been our biggest support system through this transition."

Being surrounded by a strong cast once on campus also proved to be very beneficial in helping adapt to the new environment.

"There are a lot of people [surrounding] us that want to see us succeed. That's our teammates, our coaches, they've just been a real helping hand for us in getting us to those next steps," said Kattiana.

As the year progressed, Ariana and Kattiana began to embrace the change. They came to Maryland to take on a new journey, and soon they flourished.

Kattiana and Ariana Ealy-Pulido quickly began to see the University of Maryland and the DMV as a place of opportunity, filled with chances for young professionals to grow as students and individuals. 

"Maryland has helped us a lot. As soon as we stepped foot on campus, we had so many opportunities presented to us. We were just so overwhelmed with all of these opportunities. We wanted to take on everything that was presented to us," said Kattiana

"That was one of the reasons I was interested in moving to the DMV. I heard that there were so many great opportunities, especially for minorities. We are definitely going to benefit from these programs and these resources."

Through academic support programs at the university, both Kattiana and Ariana secured positions that allowed them to build for their futures and bolster professional success. Starting off with the Terp Host program, the Ealy-Pulidos would take on several roles, which would help prepare them for their future career opportunities. 

"When we first got here initially, we started off being Terp Hosts. We wanted to make some quick money but also get some of the Maryland experience. Being a Terp host was a great way to do that. We were able to see some of the football games and work with other people during that," said Ariana.

Upon working as Terp Hosts, the Ealy-Pulidos wanted to participate in even more programs - reaching out to the career development team to find their next program. 

"After [being Terp Hosts], we transitioned to Big Ten Network, and through that we were able to do hands-on camera work. I remember doing a volleyball game, that was a great experience. We were able to get that through our career development guy - Tim Bryson. He definitely helped us with getting those jobs," said Ariana. 

Working with the Big Ten Network at Maryland was a significant experience for the Ealy-Pulidos. It allowed the pair to get their first hands-on experience in the journalism field, further preparing them for success after college.

"My best memory was working for Big Ten Network. I was never really able to do hands-on experience in journalism said Ariana. It was great to do that, at my other school I wouldn't have been able to do that."

Earning that hands-on experience has allowed the Ealy-Pulidos to grow in their career pathways and helped them get experience working in the sports industry - a career goal for the sisters. 

The transition to Maryland has also been beneficial for the Ealy-Pulidos on the track. After overcoming obstacles during the indoor season, both Ariana and Kattiana have taken the outdoor season by storm. Ariana set the school record in the 100m hurdle times, while Kattiana posted the third-best time in the same event. 

"I started to get back into my groove," said Ariana. "Being able to beat the records for me is a big thing. It puts me on a platform to inspire other people to never give up.

"I'm looking forward to breaking the record again."

Through continued success and growth, the Ealy-Pulidos continue to impress and inspire those around them. By taking advantage of solid support systems and academic programs at the University of Maryland, they have overcome obstacles, developed professionally, and climbed the Terrapins record books this year. 

Making that transition to Maryland and having the chance to continue competing with one another is something that the Ealy-Pulidos will always cherish and benefit from. 

"My sister and I have always been competing with each other since we started track, so we just have a natural competitive nature. It's a good feeling because I'm there for her and she's there for me to motivate me when coach is not around or other teammates are not around. I have her next to me giving those words of encouragement," said Kattiana. 

"Starting a new journey, track wise, academic wise, was a good feeling."