In a first-person essay, Bianca Turati wrote that she arrived at Texas as a “shy Italian girl who could barely speak English.” The All-American tennis star now has the confidence and credentials to conquer the world. Turati announced Wednesday that “my incredible journey at Texas has come to an end” and will go pro.

“It is time for me to end a chapter of my life and begin a new one,” Turati wrote in a post on UT’s website. “I am ready now to take that step of throwing myself into professional tennis. I am ready to go after my dreams. And I am very excited about it.”