While with the Rams:

Waiting Her Turn: Since stepping onto the VCU campus two years ago, Nelson has taken the role of a learner for the Rams after sitting behind senior goalkeepers Lauren Hardison, Emily Niman and Kali Van Covern.

Expertise in Athleticism:  Nelson’s athleticism is something that has been raved about since her high school days and the 2009 campaign looks to be her opportunity to display it to all the Rams fans.  

No Summer Vacation Here: Even summer can’t keep Nelson away from the pitch. She spent the summer of 2007 and 2008 as part of the Northern Virginia Majestics of the W-League and this past summer as a member of the Richmond Kickers Destiny W-League team.

Prior to VCU:

Breaking the Mold:  Nelson helped take Thomas A. Edison High School Girl’s Soccer to new levels during her four seasons. The lists of firsts include, first trip to district tournament (freshman season), first trip to regional tournament (sophomore season) and first district championship (senior season).

Not just a Star on the Pitch: Not only was she excellent in net, she also was a four-year member of the Honor Roll and a four-time Scholar-Athlete Award winner.

Highly Recruited Talent:  The Rams were lucky to end up with Nelson after she drew a ton of interest during her high school days. Other schools that she visited included Hartford, Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, Gardner-Webb and Stony Brook.   

Follow the Leader: Following her mother’s lead, Nelson showed her leadership skills at Thomas Edison, serving as the team captain for the Eagles during her junior and senior campaigns.

Getting to Know Chenae

Making the List: Her academic prowess has carried over into her collegiate career as she is a two-year member of the Dean’s List, including a perfect 4.0 in two semesters. She is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) and the Exercise Science Club.

Nomadic Lifestyle: Due to her mother’s 20 years of service in the United States Army, Nelson bounced around for much of her life with one year in San Antonio, four years in Fort Knox, Kentucky, four years in Fort Meade, Maryland before finally settling in Alexandria for 11 years. 

Mother of the Year?: Nelson lists her mother, Laurie Nelson, as her biggest inspiration after she worked as a single mother her whole life and spent 20 years as a Master Sergeant in the US Army. Chenae describes her as "a strong, independent woman that taught me everything I need to know."

An Army Brat: With her mom and grandfather having spent time serving their country, Nelson wants to follow in their footsteps by entering the Army-Baylor DPT Program after graduation, a program in which she would enter as a commissioned officer.

Working Girl: Like her mother, Nelson is as hard-working as they come, playing the role of babysitter for several families of the past 10 years and also worked as a sales associate for PJ’s Sports (Tysons Corner, Va.) since 2006.

Confessions of a Shopaholic: Maybe the summer hit was based on Nelson's life as she admits to being a shop-a-holic with some of her favorite stores listed as Forever 21, H&M, Charlotte Russe and Rue 21.