On a sunny afternoon, December 17, 2024, two exceptional Tartar athletes were celebrated surrounded by friends and family in the quad as they signed their letters of commitment to their respective colleges.
The two athletes were Jake Silverman who signed with the University of Nevada, and Kalyssa Blackshear who signed with the University of Louisville.
Blackshear has been a varsity volleyball player since she was a freshman, helping the THS team make it to CIF for the first time in two decades.
Thanks to her success as a player, Blackshear will be advancing to play at a Division 1 university, signed to play volleyball as a Cardinal in the upcoming fall semester. Blackshear will play as both a middle blocker—her current position—and opposite in college.
Volleyball has offered Blackshear many opportunities including giving her the confidence to come out of her shell, “[I’m] able to work well with others, I really became more extroverted,” this development in her life has proved beneficial as she navigated the competitive recruitment process.
Blackshear shared that receiving and signing her official offer letter “feels like a big relief” after a “very stressful process.”
Jake Silverman, captain and linebacker for the Torrance High football team, has been a part of the Tartar Football program for the entirety of his high school career; now as it comes to a close, Silverman has secured the opportunity to continue playing at the collegiate level.
“I just can’t wait to get there and prove my mark…spread my wings and start flying,” Silverman said.
Silverman has been a dedicated varsity player since his freshman year and has earned himself a plethora of awards because of it: 
CIF
first team award, first team league, defensive player of the league, Daily Breeze’s defensive player of the year, and four times all-league. In addition, last year as a junior Silverman helped lead the Torrance team to a CIF Championship title game.
Being skilled enough to receive this honor Silverman reflects back on the sacrifices he made to get him here; “a lot of hard work and dedication, but a lot of fun times too…as long as you love what you’re doing, then there’s no hard work being done, I’m just blessed to have this passion for the game.”
