ROCHESTER, N.Y. – One institution stood out when Julian Silva began his college search – Roberts Wesleyan University.

"As I was becoming familiar with the colleges here in Rochester, I understood that Roberts was definitely the best athletic program in Rochester," said Silva, who was an academic and athletic standout at nearby Greece Arcadia High School. "I thought it would be nice to stay close to home. I always have access to my parents and access to my family. I reached out to coach (Scott Reber) and everything seemed really nice and went really well."
 
And that, in essence, is how Silva became a Redhawk.
 
Now a senior, Silva is in his fourth season as a member of the men's soccer team. He scored his first career goal against the College of Staten Island last season and has appeared in three games for the Redhawks in 2025.
 
Silva, a member of Roberts' Global Honors Program, has also found success in the classroom where he carried a 3.91 grade point average as a Business Administration major. He has been selected the Roberts Wesleyan University Male Scholar-Athlete of the Month for September.
 
Silva, who lists traveling among his favorite hobbies, enjoyed making a trip to Brazil with the Global Honors Program. He also recently started playing the piano and enjoys getting together with teammates and roommates Dwayne Lewis and Luke Hanes to make music.
 
Silva, who had an internship in sales over the summer, is unsure of his future plans but is encouraged by the career flexibility he will have with a degree from Roberts.
 
Silva took a few moments to share his thoughts on being a student-athlete at Roberts. Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
 
When did you start playing soccer?
"My family has always been big on soccer, especially on my dad's side. I started playing when I was about 2 years old and I've just been playing since then. My family is Portuguese, so it's a big part of the culture. We always watch the international tournaments together, so it's always been a big part of my life."
 
What do you love most about the game?
"I like the aspect of being able to constantly improve, day in and day out. It has also taught me a lot of life lessons through the game which also helped me outside the game."
 
What has been the key to the team's strong start this season?
"In my four years, this is definitely the year that we feel most like a team. I feel that everybody works hard for each other, and everybody really cares for each other. We all just mesh really well. We lost a lot of really good players over the past couple of years and we thought that it would be a rough time, but we've all just picked up our load and understand what our job is. We've just meshed really well and have some really good chemistry going on. I think it's going to continue."
 
How would you describe the relationship you have with your teammates who have come to Roberts from around the world?
"It's cool to know that people from far apart in different circumstances can still find common ground through soccer. It's something that has united me on every single one of my teams. We all really love the game, we love to improve together."
 
What was Senior Day like for you?
"Senior Day was good. We won, that's all that really matters. We beat D'Youville and it was nice to beat D'Youville because we lost to them last year. It was really nice to be able to win and be able to prove that we're here and that we're serious. It's always nice facing a conference opponent."
 
What was the Honors Program's trip to Brazil like?
"It was really nice to be rewarded at the end of the semester and go to Brazil with about 12 other classmates. We stayed there for about three weeks with a host family. It was really cool because we stayed immersed in the culture and went to classes in Brazil.  As I mentioned before, my family is Portuguese and I'm fluent, so that was really nice to be able to just go there, use the language and also help out my classmates."
 
Do you have a favorite professor at Roberts?
"I think a lot of people appreciate Dr. Joel Hoomans and I would have to agree. He's really passionate about not only teaching us curriculum, but also helping us out with situations throughout life, whether that's in the business world or outside the business world. I took one class with him where we presented an audit, and my company was Boeing. It really helped me be able to work with a team and understand what a business needs. That was definitely my favorite course and my favorite professor."
 
What advice would you give to other student-athletes about being successful in both academics and athletics?
"I think it's all about working hard. You need to work hard and be consistent every day. Don't get behind on your work, and you'll succeed on the academic side."