Senior Stories: Multitalented Tillotson Provides Leadership In All Areas
11/18/2025 3:36:00 PM | Women's Soccer
By Jayden Hewitt, special to MSUSpartans.com 
Michigan State soccer player Remini Tillotson has a unique name, one you've probably never heard or seen before.
But there's a good story behind the name.
Rimini, Italy, a city on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, is the inspiration for the senior defender's name. Tillotson's father, Chris, played football at Columbia University and played football in the city of Rimini. And that's where Tillotson's parents got her name, with a letter changed for pronunciation purposes, according to her mother, Allison.
Tillotson's mother played volleyball at Rochester College, but Tillotson's parents made sure they supported anything - whether it was buying a guitar, ballet classes, trying different sports, gymnastics classes, or even artistic endeavors.
Tillotson, a Rochester native and Communications major, played volleyball, basketball, and even kicked extra points for her high school football team in addition to soccer while growing up.
Her love for music began early; she got her first guitar in fifth grade and found her singing talent along her journey with the guitar.
"My mom bought me a guitar, my first guitar, and I fell in love with music. I took guitar lessons every week, literally, until senior year of high school," Tillotson said. "So (I) just really, really dove into that.
"Singing was always just something I kind of did for fun," continued for Tillotson. "I never took one lesson - I did not like the lesson at all, so I never tried it again."
Tillotson's music talent was evident, and it's just a glimpse into the thought process her parents had while she was growing up – to find interests outside of sports – supported by both Allison and Chris.
"We encouraged her, all of our kids, to kind of diversify themselves a little, you know, experience as much as they wanted to," Allison said. "We tried to get out of that mentality of narrowing them and pigeonholing them into one thing from, you know, at such a young age."
Tillotson's father echoed the same idea. The Tillotson siblings grew up with two athletes for parents, but that was not going to define them as humans.
"I think we were really intentional about wanting the kids to find their own way," Tillotson's father remembers. "I think, yeah, the reality of it is, I think for me, especially, I have a strong belief that athletics prepares you for life in many different ways."
She sang at coffee shops and even played guitar on the street while earning tips from passersby with her ability to play the guitar and using her "uniquely spectacular" voice, as said by her father.
Larger singing opportunities started for Tillotson when she performed at the Student Athlete Support Services Academic Excellence Gala, where she received a standing ovation from the crowd after singing "Like the Movies" by Laufey.
Tillotson had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the NCAA Final Four if the Spartans made it that far. And Tillotson is, naturally, according to her teammates, the final act during bus karaoke.
"It was a crazy secret talent. One day, she just told us she could sing. And I was like nah, no way, no way," junior midfielder Bella Najera said. "And then she actually started singing. And, like, she sang at our academic gala in the spring, and it was just amazing."
Everyone on the team at this point knows of Tillotson's talents, even her coaches, who are also very aware of her talent on the field.
"I mean, It literally took my breath away watching her perform. I know how nervous she was. You know, all week she's in the office every day, and we're chatting…," Jeff Holser remembered of her Gala performance. "There's nothing in this world Rem (Remini) was going to do surprise me, because she's that kind of person, that kind of kid. She is in the arts as well and is maybe the most interesting player on our team, for sure."
Off the field, Tillotson is a multi-faceted talent; she speaks Spanish and can carry on conversations with anyone. Tillotson's mother made it a point of emphasis to teach all of her children another language.
When it came to sports, Tillotson found influence in her sister, Justice, who also briefly played soccer during the 2020 and 2021 seasons for MSU, and has since played at UTEP and most recently at Detroit Mercy. Tillotson's brother, Lachlan, also runs track at Detroit Mercy.
Competition always abounded while growing up, and Tillotson was able to get a front-row seat to the recruiting process early on due to her sister's early commitment to MSU.
After the initial COVID-19 shutdown, and recruitment started to pick back up, Tillotson found herself ready to attend Texas Christian University (TCU). She played two seasons there and made light of the challenges presented to a freshman in a new city, state, and on a new team.
"Once we got into like the deep part of the season, I was like, oh my gosh, like, this is really hard. Like, my family doesn't come to any games, and (they're) really far and like, this is really, really good team, and it's hard personal situation to play here," Tillotson recalls.
"I look back on my freshman year, as challenging as it was. It wasn't only about playing time, but also being in a new environment is one of the biggest things that helped shape me. I think really pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and challenging myself with being at such a competitive school made me want to even more."
Tillotson returned to her home state in 2024 for her junior season to play under Hosler, who initially recruited her during his tenure at Grand Valley State. She's taken on a leadership role and has already played more minutes than her junior campaign. She's started the last five games as MSU pursues success in the postseason.
Najera and junior midfielder Kayla Briggs, as well as Hosler, all speak highly of her leadership and jubilant presence in the locker room and on the field.
Briggs and Najera both mentioned that Tillotson's dancing in the locker room to the song "Freed From Desire" by Gala is a common occurrence and one of her favorite songs. It's a reflection of Tillotson's easygoing personality.
Briggs, also a transfer, has benefitted and bonded in the brief time they've been teammates and have established an on-field and off–field connection.
"We'll talk about our transfer situations and different things we experienced and have been through. It's cool to have someone who also went through that," added Briggs. "I think Rem's a great leader. She's one of the most vocal leaders on the team, by far. And her energy and her presence, you feel that on the field."
As a leader, Tillotson has insight into what it's like to be in any position on a team, whether it's as a starter, a bench player, or a freshman. She carries that experience while trying to stay present in her senior season and spreading joy to the team.
Tillotson's effervescent personality seems to have a profound effect on those around her. Her mother, Allison, emotionally talked about Tillotson's infectious presence, as well as the personality that has ultimately gotten her where she is as a teammate and player.
"She does just bring light, laughter and joy to everywhere that she goes. We're all better for it."
Michigan State soccer player Remini Tillotson has a unique name, one you've probably never heard or seen before.
But there's a good story behind the name.
Rimini, Italy, a city on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, is the inspiration for the senior defender's name. Tillotson's father, Chris, played football at Columbia University and played football in the city of Rimini. And that's where Tillotson's parents got her name, with a letter changed for pronunciation purposes, according to her mother, Allison.
Tillotson's mother played volleyball at Rochester College, but Tillotson's parents made sure they supported anything - whether it was buying a guitar, ballet classes, trying different sports, gymnastics classes, or even artistic endeavors.
Tillotson, a Rochester native and Communications major, played volleyball, basketball, and even kicked extra points for her high school football team in addition to soccer while growing up.
Her love for music began early; she got her first guitar in fifth grade and found her singing talent along her journey with the guitar.
"My mom bought me a guitar, my first guitar, and I fell in love with music. I took guitar lessons every week, literally, until senior year of high school," Tillotson said. "So (I) just really, really dove into that.
"Singing was always just something I kind of did for fun," continued for Tillotson. "I never took one lesson - I did not like the lesson at all, so I never tried it again."
Tillotson's music talent was evident, and it's just a glimpse into the thought process her parents had while she was growing up – to find interests outside of sports – supported by both Allison and Chris.
"We encouraged her, all of our kids, to kind of diversify themselves a little, you know, experience as much as they wanted to," Allison said. "We tried to get out of that mentality of narrowing them and pigeonholing them into one thing from, you know, at such a young age."
Tillotson's father echoed the same idea. The Tillotson siblings grew up with two athletes for parents, but that was not going to define them as humans.
"I think we were really intentional about wanting the kids to find their own way," Tillotson's father remembers. "I think, yeah, the reality of it is, I think for me, especially, I have a strong belief that athletics prepares you for life in many different ways."
She sang at coffee shops and even played guitar on the street while earning tips from passersby with her ability to play the guitar and using her "uniquely spectacular" voice, as said by her father.
Larger singing opportunities started for Tillotson when she performed at the Student Athlete Support Services Academic Excellence Gala, where she received a standing ovation from the crowd after singing "Like the Movies" by Laufey.
Tillotson had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the NCAA Final Four if the Spartans made it that far. And Tillotson is, naturally, according to her teammates, the final act during bus karaoke.
"It was a crazy secret talent. One day, she just told us she could sing. And I was like nah, no way, no way," junior midfielder Bella Najera said. "And then she actually started singing. And, like, she sang at our academic gala in the spring, and it was just amazing."
Everyone on the team at this point knows of Tillotson's talents, even her coaches, who are also very aware of her talent on the field.
"I mean, It literally took my breath away watching her perform. I know how nervous she was. You know, all week she's in the office every day, and we're chatting…," Jeff Holser remembered of her Gala performance. "There's nothing in this world Rem (Remini) was going to do surprise me, because she's that kind of person, that kind of kid. She is in the arts as well and is maybe the most interesting player on our team, for sure."Off the field, Tillotson is a multi-faceted talent; she speaks Spanish and can carry on conversations with anyone. Tillotson's mother made it a point of emphasis to teach all of her children another language.
When it came to sports, Tillotson found influence in her sister, Justice, who also briefly played soccer during the 2020 and 2021 seasons for MSU, and has since played at UTEP and most recently at Detroit Mercy. Tillotson's brother, Lachlan, also runs track at Detroit Mercy.
Competition always abounded while growing up, and Tillotson was able to get a front-row seat to the recruiting process early on due to her sister's early commitment to MSU.
After the initial COVID-19 shutdown, and recruitment started to pick back up, Tillotson found herself ready to attend Texas Christian University (TCU). She played two seasons there and made light of the challenges presented to a freshman in a new city, state, and on a new team.
"Once we got into like the deep part of the season, I was like, oh my gosh, like, this is really hard. Like, my family doesn't come to any games, and (they're) really far and like, this is really, really good team, and it's hard personal situation to play here," Tillotson recalls.
"I look back on my freshman year, as challenging as it was. It wasn't only about playing time, but also being in a new environment is one of the biggest things that helped shape me. I think really pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and challenging myself with being at such a competitive school made me want to even more."
Tillotson returned to her home state in 2024 for her junior season to play under Hosler, who initially recruited her during his tenure at Grand Valley State. She's taken on a leadership role and has already played more minutes than her junior campaign. She's started the last five games as MSU pursues success in the postseason.
Najera and junior midfielder Kayla Briggs, as well as Hosler, all speak highly of her leadership and jubilant presence in the locker room and on the field.
Briggs and Najera both mentioned that Tillotson's dancing in the locker room to the song "Freed From Desire" by Gala is a common occurrence and one of her favorite songs. It's a reflection of Tillotson's easygoing personality.
Briggs, also a transfer, has benefitted and bonded in the brief time they've been teammates and have established an on-field and off–field connection.
"We'll talk about our transfer situations and different things we experienced and have been through. It's cool to have someone who also went through that," added Briggs. "I think Rem's a great leader. She's one of the most vocal leaders on the team, by far. And her energy and her presence, you feel that on the field."
As a leader, Tillotson has insight into what it's like to be in any position on a team, whether it's as a starter, a bench player, or a freshman. She carries that experience while trying to stay present in her senior season and spreading joy to the team.
Tillotson's effervescent personality seems to have a profound effect on those around her. Her mother, Allison, emotionally talked about Tillotson's infectious presence, as well as the personality that has ultimately gotten her where she is as a teammate and player.
"She does just bring light, laughter and joy to everywhere that she goes. We're all better for it."
Players Mentioned
Jeff Hosler | Women's Soccer Press Conference | Nov. 17 2025
Monday, November 17
Jeff Hosler Postgame Comments | Milwaukee
Friday, November 14
Jeff Hosler NCAA Selection Comments
Monday, November 10
Jeff Hosler Postgame Press Conference | UCLA
Thursday, November 06