Thanks to her passion for gymnastics, Emma Silberman, a New Hope resident, managed to make her way from a walk-on to a leader at the University of Maryland, writes Eli Cohen for The Diamondback.

The successful athlete hails from a small local gym called Central Bucks. The gym grew into her second home and helped shape her as a gymnast and person.

However, despite not recording good results in lower-level competitions, her love for the sport kept a smile on her face throughout the entire experience.

In her last year of high school, Silberman managed to catch the eye of Maryland coach Brett Nelligan who approached her with an offer. It was not a scholarship but a chance to walk-on. The offer was quickly upgraded to a scholarship for her freshman season.

After the freshman campaign, Nelligan realized Silberman’s true potential and he made her a scholarship athlete for the next three seasons.

“The growth that first semester was incredible,” said Nelligan. “She was just an absolute sponge her freshman year. She’s so hungry that when we finally made it to season, we started her in two events.”

Read more about Emma Silberman in The Diamondback.