COURTESY PHOTO
Peabody native Jayme Callum, pictured with the Independent Girls Conference volleyball championship trophy, will play softball and volleyball at Ursinus College.
By HAROLD RIVERA
Peabody native Jayme Callum has built a stellar athletic career at Waltham’s Gann Academy.
A star dual-athlete in volleyball and softball, Callum has earned numerous awards for her accomplishments in both sports. Callum was named the 2016 Independent Girls Conference MVP in volleyball and earned the same award in 2015 for softball. Now she’s taking the next step in her athletic endeavors.
The Gann Academy senior announced her commitment to Ursinus College in Pennsylvania next year, where she’ll continue to play both volleyball and softball.
Callum’s college decision is a process that began last year when she initially visited Ursinus on a softball-related trip. Ursinus left a positive impression on Callum, so she decided to connect to the school’s volleyball team. That’s when she knew her choice was clear.
“The process started last year when I contacted coaches,” Callum said. “I came down and visited the school. I fell in love with the campus. I primarily was going to the school for softball and then I was able to add volleyball too.”
An outside hitter in volleyball and a catcher in softball, Callum shared that she also considered committing to Gettysburg College and the University of Hartford. In the end, her experiences in connecting with the volleyball and softball teams at Ursinus played a major role in her commitment to the Bears.
“The girls on the softball team were nice and very connected to each other,” Callum recalled. “I met the volleyball team for the first time in the fall and that went well. They are a very cohesive group.”
Another driving force in Callum’s decision was the school’s size. Ursinus is a small school with an enrollment of just 1,650 undergraduate students.
“Another thing that appealed to me is the school’s size,” Callum said. “That was important for me, coming from a small prep school.”
Callum’s athletic resume in an impressive one. She recently wrapped up a stellar senior volleyball campaign that saw the Heifers finish undefeated in the regular season at 15-0. The team won its first IGC Conference title in school history and earned a trip to the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference playoffs.
“It was the best season that our school has ever had,” Callum said. “It was the first time our school has gone undefeated in volleyball.”
Although her high school volleyball career has come to a close, Callum is still engaged in the sport through her club program, the Beantown Volleyball Club. In the meantime, she’ll also be preparing for her senior season on the diamond.
The Heifers softball team has won the IGC championship over the past two seasons and Callum is hopeful she and her teammates can make it a third this upcoming spring.
“I’m hoping to have another strong season,” Callum said. “ We lost our pitcher from last season, so we’re sort of a young team. I’m hoping for the best. Everyone’s really invested.”
As she gears up to carry her athletic skills to the collegiate realm, Callum credited her coaches for preparing her for the next stage.
“I’m going to miss the coaches,” Callum said. “I’ve formed a very strong bond with all of my volleyball and softball coaches, especially Jaime Wakefield. She’s an assistant coach on both teams. My coaches taught me about leadership and how to stand up for myself.”
Although high school athletes may often lack guidance when they make decisions on their futures, that wasn’t the case with Callum. Her mother, Susan, was a stellar volleyball player at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Her father, David, was a standout baseball player at Lehigh University.
“I’m very proud to carry that tradition (of playing in college),” Callum said. “The best advice I got was from my parents and my coaches. They told me to find a school and a coach that reached out to me, not to play for a coach that I felt wasn’t invested in me.”
Now that she’s endured the stresses that come with choosing where to continue her athletic and academic careers, Callum offers the same advice for high school athletes who are unsure of how to zero in on where to go next.
“I’d give somebody the same advice that my parents and coaches gave me,” Callum said. “Find a coach that they feel connected to. I’d also tell them to find a school they feel comfortable at. If they ever stop playing sports, they should go to a school where they’re still comfortable.”
Harold Rivera can be reached at [email protected].