DePaul University Athletics
11/8/2026 5:21:00 PM | MEN'S SOCCER, TRACK AND FIELD, DEVELOPING & EQUIPPING FUTURE LEADERS
Max Padua and Trixie Johnson share their journey to college
Nov. 8 is National First-Generation College Celebration Day. To mark it, DePaul Athletics is highlighting student-athletes who are the first in their families to attend college. They are breaking barriers and showing how athletic scholarships can open the door to higher education.
Max Padua, a junior midfielder on the men's soccer team, is the youngest of three brothers to pursue a college degree and the first of them to play at a Division I university. Their father, Ernesto, made it clear early that college was the goal and that a scholarship would be the way to get there. Ernesto was a reserve player in Liga MX, and both of Padua's older brothers played soccer. For Padua, soccer was clearly going to be his ticket to a four-year university.
Padua's parents moved from Mexico City when his mother was pregnant with his oldest brother, Sebastian. His father gave up his playing career for better financial opportunities in the United States. He kept the game in his life and helped support the family by founding DuPage Soccer Academy.
"He worked a 9-to-5 and then coached soccer from 5 to 10," Padua said.
Behind the scenes, Padua's mother drove all three boys from their home in Addison, Illinois, to the Chicago Fire Academy in the city. The trip was 40 minutes each way, not counting traffic. All three brothers were recruited there and got the chance to play at a high level. When DePaul recruited Padua and offered him a scholarship at the end of his senior year of high school, he said, "it felt like we finally made it."
Today, his mother is at every home game. Ernesto joins her whenever he isn't coaching. Padua is a psychology major and hopes to become a sports psychologist and coach, joining his father on the sideline.
Trixie Johnson, a senior distance runner on the track and field team, grew up in Paxton, Illinois. It's a town of fewer than 5,000 people where going to a four-year university was not the norm.
"Nobody ever tells you to dream big when you're from a small town," Johnson said.
Johnson spent her first two years of college running at Illinois State University, but she knew she wanted something bigger for herself. She had no one to guide her through the transfer process, so she worked out her next steps on her own.
"I had great parents, loving parents to help me. But again, they're like, 'We don't know how to do this.' It really is up to you as a student, and it's crazy because you're 18, 19, 20 years old. I don't think students get enough credit for trying to figure this all out."
Johnson traveled the country by herself, visiting schools and calling coaches to find the right next step. She considered Division II and Division III programs and thought about heading south to get farther from home. She chose DePaul after its coaching staff showed strong interest in her. She also realized she didn't have to go far to find what she was looking for.
"I wanted to kind of be thrown into the deep end," Johnson said.
She knew that at DePaul she wasn't going to be the best athlete, but for her it was never about that. It was about seeing the world and gaining new perspectives.
Johnson is a sports communication major who hopes to become a sports broadcaster. She also works as a server downtown and enjoys being part of so many new communities. She still has a soft spot for the farm she grew up on and for her family. She said the most exciting part of sharing her story is being an example for her younger sister, who is now being recruited in track and field.
"My biggest thing to her is just don't fear any of it. There's no such thing as the wrong decision," Johnson said of her decision to pursue collegiate athletics.
For many students, college is the expected next step after high school. Students who are the first in their families to go face invisible barriers along the way, from talking with coaches to filling out applications to navigating the transfer portal. DePaul Athletics is proud to celebrate the student-athletes who took those extra steps to get here and can't wait to see where they go next.
Max Padua, a junior midfielder on the men's soccer team, is the youngest of three brothers to pursue a college degree and the first of them to play at a Division I university. Their father, Ernesto, made it clear early that college was the goal and that a scholarship would be the way to get there. Ernesto was a reserve player in Liga MX, and both of Padua's older brothers played soccer. For Padua, soccer was clearly going to be his ticket to a four-year university.
Padua's parents moved from Mexico City when his mother was pregnant with his oldest brother, Sebastian. His father gave up his playing career for better financial opportunities in the United States. He kept the game in his life and helped support the family by founding DuPage Soccer Academy.
"He worked a 9-to-5 and then coached soccer from 5 to 10," Padua said.
Behind the scenes, Padua's mother drove all three boys from their home in Addison, Illinois, to the Chicago Fire Academy in the city. The trip was 40 minutes each way, not counting traffic. All three brothers were recruited there and got the chance to play at a high level. When DePaul recruited Padua and offered him a scholarship at the end of his senior year of high school, he said, "it felt like we finally made it."
Today, his mother is at every home game. Ernesto joins her whenever he isn't coaching. Padua is a psychology major and hopes to become a sports psychologist and coach, joining his father on the sideline.
Trixie Johnson, a senior distance runner on the track and field team, grew up in Paxton, Illinois. It's a town of fewer than 5,000 people where going to a four-year university was not the norm.
"Nobody ever tells you to dream big when you're from a small town," Johnson said.
Johnson spent her first two years of college running at Illinois State University, but she knew she wanted something bigger for herself. She had no one to guide her through the transfer process, so she worked out her next steps on her own.
"I had great parents, loving parents to help me. But again, they're like, 'We don't know how to do this.' It really is up to you as a student, and it's crazy because you're 18, 19, 20 years old. I don't think students get enough credit for trying to figure this all out."
Johnson traveled the country by herself, visiting schools and calling coaches to find the right next step. She considered Division II and Division III programs and thought about heading south to get farther from home. She chose DePaul after its coaching staff showed strong interest in her. She also realized she didn't have to go far to find what she was looking for.
"I wanted to kind of be thrown into the deep end," Johnson said.
She knew that at DePaul she wasn't going to be the best athlete, but for her it was never about that. It was about seeing the world and gaining new perspectives.
Johnson is a sports communication major who hopes to become a sports broadcaster. She also works as a server downtown and enjoys being part of so many new communities. She still has a soft spot for the farm she grew up on and for her family. She said the most exciting part of sharing her story is being an example for her younger sister, who is now being recruited in track and field.
"My biggest thing to her is just don't fear any of it. There's no such thing as the wrong decision," Johnson said of her decision to pursue collegiate athletics.
For many students, college is the expected next step after high school. Students who are the first in their families to go face invisible barriers along the way, from talking with coaches to filling out applications to navigating the transfer portal. DePaul Athletics is proud to celebrate the student-athletes who took those extra steps to get here and can't wait to see where they go next.
Players Mentioned
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