Ponaganset High School Athletic Hall of Fame
Induction Class of 2015
Debra Nelson
Athlete
Class of 2004
Soccer, Basketball, & Volleyball
Debra Nelson attended Ponaganset High School from the 2000 until her graduation in June of 2004. She starred in three sports – soccer, basketball and volleyball – for each of her four years as a Chieftain, and her outgoing personality made her a favorite with coaches and teammates alike.
She starred on the soccer field throughout her career, earning all-division honors three times and first team all-state accolades as both a junior and senior. She amassed more than 100 points over her career, including an impressive 66 goals.
Debra also starred on both the basketball and volleyball courts over her four-year high school career. She was able to make all-division in both sports while earning second team all-state honors in basketball as a senior. She was a fabulous athlete who excelled in all of the sports she played.
Upon graduating from high school, Debra accepted an athletic scholarship to play soccer at the University of Rhode Island. Her successful athletic career continued at the collegiate level, where she starred for the Rams for four years, earning All-Atlantic 10 honors as a freshman with first team all-conference selections as a junior and senior.
After graduating from URI, Debra attended Springfield College, where she coached the women's soccer team as graduate assistant. She earned her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy while at Springfield. She presently lives in Wrentham, Mass., and works as an occupational therapist at Park Place Rehabilitation.