How would you feel if even before you graduated high school, your college plans were practically planned out?
Junior Kayla Fong, knows exactly how that feels. Last year, when Fong was a sophomore at Carlmont, she was recruited and had fully committed to play soccer at the University of California, Berkeley.
At a young age, Fong followed in her brother’s footsteps and picked up the sport.
When beginning to find her athletic talent, Fong was encouraged by her grandmother and aunt to take soccer to the next level and play competitively.
“Soccer has changed my life significantly. I’ve learned so many things about teamwork, dedication, and persistence,” said Fong.
On her club team, De Anza Force and on Carlmont’s varsity soccer team, Fong plays center forward. Fong has been on Carlmont’s varsity soccer team for the past three years.
“She inspires the team. During practice, she’s honestly much better than everyone else and continues to work hard even though she is already recruited and committed to Cal,” said sophomore Hana Hogan.
Since committing, Fong doesn’t let herself off easy academically and feels that she should be more focused on her grades than ever.
Fong believes that it is important for her to excel both in school and on the field.
“If I didn’t take this opportunity seriously, it could easily be taken away from me,” said Fong.
Going to Berkeley is a chapter in Fong’s life that she is excited to begin when the time comes.
The school is not only a Division I in soccer, but also has prestigious academics. The location of Berkeley also allows her parents to watch all of her home games.
“They’re my biggest fans. They’ve supported me no matter what and I wouldn’t be where I’m at without them,” said Fong.
Although Fong has about a year and a half more to wait, her teammates are also excited to see where the journey will take her.
“Playing for Cal will benefit Kayla because she’ll be able to experience traveling to different colleges for games and be introduced to a new level,” said junior and teammate Gaby Belarde.
