KEENE, N.H.--As the final whistle blew on her field hockey career, Irini Stefanakos wasn't just walking off the turf—she was stepping into a future shaped by science, sustainability, and a deep love for the natural world.
After four years as a standout midfielder for the Keene State field hockey team, Stefanakos is trading in her field hockey stick for field gear – and a future in environmental science. From dominating the Little East Conference, she will now turn her attention towards a different kind of challenge: the climate crisis.
Irini's passion for the outdoors began early on. Growing up in Fitchburg, Mass., she spent her summers hiking and swimming and spent her winters on the slopes, skiing. It was through these experiences that an interest in the environment steadily grew.
"I really enjoy the outdoors and see a lot that can be changed for the environment — that's why I chose environmental studies," said Irini. "Anything outdoorsy, it's just refreshing. It puts you in a different mood. That's the first thing that really caught my eye about doing environmental work."
That same love for the outdoors was matched only by her athletic prowess and competitive drive. Long before she stepped into a science lab, she had already caught the attention of Keene State field hockey head coach Amy Watson.
"Coach Wyant went down to watch her play in Fitchburg, Mass," Watson recalled. "She was a phenomenal athlete. She scored six goals in that game. We knew we were going to like her, but we didn't expect that kind of performance. He came back thrilled—said, 'This is our top recruit. We've got to get her.'"
For Irini, it was a match made in heaven. After touring Keene State prior to her freshman year, she knew she had found a place where she could thrive—both on the field and in the classroom.
"I didn't want to go to a big school. And it was just very welcoming, especially the field hockey team," Irini recalled. "That's like part of the reason I came here because the coaches and staff were very welcoming and very eager to get me to join the team."
Irini arrived in Keene for the fall semester of 2021 with high expectations on her shoulders, but she wasted no time in living up to them. From the first moment she stepped into the locker room and onto the field, her work ethic and leadership qualities stood out.
"She's got everything," Watson said. "Super athletic, really skilled, fast, and humble. She works harder than anybody else, and leads by example every time she's on the field."
Even as a first-year player, her presence commanded attention.
"When she talks, everybody listens," Watson said. "We asked the team whose opinion they valued the most—and almost everyone said Irini. That speaks volumes."
In her first season, Stefanakos would lead the team in both goals and assists en route to an appearance in the Little East Conference championship final. While the Owls lost the game 1-0 to Eastern Connecticut, Stefanakos was named First-Team All-Conference as a first-year.
Off the field, Irini's dedication and care for those around her were just as evident. "Irini is one amazing individual and I'm so lucky to call her one of my best friends," said Bella Coates. "In our friend group, she's earned the nickname 'dad' because she cares for you like your own father would — always there if you need anything, no questions asked. Whether it's giving you a ride, a shoulder to lean on, or just being present, she shows up fully every time."
While the ultimate prize eluded the field hockey team in her first year, Irini had found her rhythm on campus — and a home in the Environmental Studies program, where she began to nurture her love of nature through coursework and application.
Will Wrobel
It was there that she caught the eye of Karen Seaver, an adjunct professor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.
"Irini stood out because she was very smart and participated a lot," said Seaver. "She thrived in the interactive parts — that curiosity and confidence really made her memorable from the start. She was someone who stayed engaged, who wanted to know more, who asked the questions that pushed discussion further. It didn't surprise me at all when I learned she wanted to do more environmental field work."
That drive to do more would continue to define Irini throughout her time at Keene State. While she was deepening her understanding of environmental science, she was also anchoring the field hockey team through two more grueling and competitive seasons.
Across those two years, Stefanakos once again led her squad in both goals and assists, earning regional recognition along the way. She was named to the All-Little East First Team and the LEC Academic Honor Roll both seasons, as well as the NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad in her sophomore year and the NFHCA All-Region Second Team as a junior. Despite her individual and team successes, losses in the semifinals and finals kept the championship just out of reach, leaving only one season remaining to chase that dream.
It was the summer before her senior year that Irini embarked on another challenge, an internship with the Harris Center, a wilderness conservation non-profit based out of Hancock, N.H. There she would connect with Seaver again, this time in a
professional setting. The internship was full-time conservation work ranging from forest inventory and field work to hiking and canoeing the area. Although it only lasted eight weeks, Stefankos' experience at the Harris Center made a permanent impact.
"The internship last summer really inspired me to want to do that stuff and it was really fun, you do something different every day," said Irini. "That's essentially my dream job is that I'm doing something environmental that's something different every day."
As the summer came to a close, Irini returned to Keene with a renewed sense of purpose—both in the field and on the field. With one final season ahead, she was determined to turn years of close calls into a championship.
"Yeah, she wanted that bad," recalled coach Watson. "I mean, I think we all did, but I think in particular, like, she was very much a part of all of our championship runs. You know, she was easily, you know, one of the top players on the field, win or lose, you know, whether it was on our team or their team."
As the season progressed, Irini's leadership continued to shine. The team rallied around her energy and experience, and together they stormed through the conference. When the final whistle blew in November, on a 3-2 road win over Vermont State University-Castleton (a team they had lost to, 6-1, in the regular season) Keene State had done it—they were Little East Conference champions.
"Winning the championship this year with my senior teammates was incredible," said Irini. "Especially because I know just how hard we worked for that."
Coach Watson echoed the sentiment, underscoring what the win meant not just for the program, but for the players who had endured the near-misses.
"She earned that moment," Watson said. "After coming so close in the past, to finally get it done—it was a full-circle kind of thing. And Irini, she was at the heart of it."
Following the crowning moment of her athletic career at Keene State, Irini dove straight back into her academic passion with a capstone project, working with professor Seaver to research and test water quality at local ponds.
"It was a lot of plankton netting, microscope work, and testing water quality," said Irini. "We used a photometer to look at algae color, which tells you what kind of algae you're dealing with. And we used probes to test temperature, pH, and conductivity—basic things that help tell the story of the pond."
The group's project was as much about understanding ecosystems as it was about calming concerns in the Keene community.
"People always wonder what the green stuff is in Brickyard Pond," said Seaver. "Irini's group found that a lot of what you see isn't harmful algae. It might not look pretty, but it's not toxic."
The team also examined Wilson Pond, an important migratory bird habitat near the Dillant-Hopkins Airport, where pollution from nearby homes and the airport has raised concerns. Their findings shed light on how even man-made ponds like Brickyard, which relies mostly on rainfall and collects nutrient runoff (especially from geese), can face unique ecological challenges.
"It was super rewarding," said Irini. "That's the kind of work I want to keep doing—just getting out there, seeing what's happening in nature, and helping protect it."
Now, having graduated from Keene State College on May 10, Irini has already found her next challenge, joining the team at Water & Wetland in Grafton, Mass. as an aquatic biologist. Her new role will see her work to protect and improve bodies of water across New England.
"I think it's a very niche job, and I'm obviously very excited by it because I wanted to do land and water kind of work, this is obviously water-based. But I think it's a good place to start and get a lot of background experience," said Irini.
As she closes one chapter and begins another, Irini carries with her the same drive, curiosity, and heart that made her a standout at Keene State—on and off the field.
"I know she's going to do amazing things," said Coach Watson. "We're all proud of her—and lucky to have had her here."
