For most seniors, the monotony of going to class and gearing up for graduation has reached its limit by the beginning of February.

But for Saint Louis University’s Meghann Burke, the new month has brought a whirlwind of excitement, dreams come true and an achievement never before reached by a female Billiken athlete.

On Sunday, Burke, goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team, was selected by the Carolina Courage in the second round of the Women’s United Soccer Association draft, making her the first female athlete from SLU to be chosen in a professional draft.

“It is just a dream come true,” Burke said. “It is an incredible feeling. Being the first female athlete at SLU to be taken in a draft is something I hadn’t really thought about. But once I heard someone say it, I realized it is an amazing honor.”

WUSA is the nation’s top women’s professional league. Burke was the 16th overall pick in the draft. To be chosen in the draft has made this week a hectic one for the senior from Mehlville High School in St. Louis.

“I don’t have words to describe the feelings I have for this moment,” Burke said, two days after learning her name was announced over an Internet broadcast on WUSA’s Website. “These last few days have been dizzying. I have been surrounded by family and friends, and it has been a great time. I am really excited.”

Burke has spoken with Carolina’s coach and general manager on the phone, but no details concerning a contract or salary have been finalized.

WUSA is an eight-team league in which each team plays a 21-game regular season schedule, culminating with the championship game on Aug. 25.

There is little time for Burke to bask in her recent success. The season begins on April 5, but an optional training camp begins on Feb. 15. Regular practices are scheduled to begin in early March, but Burke plans to get a head start on her professional soccer career.

“Once I talk to the team again, I will know when I will be moving out there, but it should be in the next two or three weeks,” Burke explained.

The Courage play their home games in Cary, N.C., just outside of Raleigh, and there is no doubt that Burke is ready to head to the Atlantic Coast.

“I am so happy with where I was selected in the draft,” Burke said. “After being picked by Carolina, I couldn’t ask for a better place to play than on the coast. To have the opportunity to live and play in North Carolina is a great feeling.”

Burke, a pre-law scholar at SLU, is set to graduate in May with a double major in psychology and political science.

Despite graduating at the end of the semester, she has finished her course of study, enabling her to focus solely on soccer as she now faces the her next task: earning a spot on the field for the Courage.

“This past year, I have been taking one thing at a time,” Burke said. “I have achieved a major of goal by being drafted. Now I want to step in and play for the Carolina Courage. I want to be the starting goalkeeper for them this year and help them repeat as WUSA champs.”

It will not be easy for her, however. The Courage is the defending WUSA champion and boasts last season’s WUSA goalkeeper of the year, Kristin Luckenbill.

Nonetheless, Burke plans on making a run at the starting goalie position immediately.

“I think that I am coming in to Carolina in a great position,” Burke said. “I feel that I was drafted early so I could step in with the team and make an early impact. I am competing for a starting job with one other person. It will be a competitive atmosphere, but I am confident I can earn a spot as the starting goalkeeper.”

As a second-team All-American her senior season at SLU, Burke feels that being drafted by the top team in the league is a fitting conclusion to a successful career at SLU.

“I couldn’t have scripted a better ending to my time at SLU,” she said. “We were ranked 25th by Soccer America for the first time in the school’s history. It just shows how good a team we had.”

“Being selected to play at the next level is a tribute to my coaches and teammates. They have given me great support. I hope this proves that athletes here can achieve anything at SLU. It is a great place to play,” she continued.

She also feels that her success has opened doors for other female athletes at SLU who want to compete at a professional level in years to come.

“I know there will be many female athletes at SLU after me who will play professional sports. Women’s sports are on the rise, and opportunities are now being created for women after college. To be the first is a distinct honor. It has been a dream, and I hope I will achieve more along the way,” Burke said.