Senior Sophia Kwon fell in love with the sport of soccer at the age of four.
“I started playing before kindergarten, so I’ve been playing for 14 years,” Kwon said.
She dabbled with recreational soccer and played on her school teams, but her efforts to take it more seriously began when she entered high school here at PVHS.
“During my freshman year, I joined my ECNL club,” she explained.“My coach believed in my ability to play at the D1 level and gave me the confidence to pursue that goal.”
This Beach FC ECNL U19 club team served a monumental role in her development. Just this last summer, they competed in a tournament that included all of the best clubs in the nation.
Kwon led her team to the playoffs in Seattle for the Round of 16, and Virginia for the Final Four, where they won the tournament championship.
After this, their team earned the number one ranking in the country.
“I reached out to coaches before participating in the showcase events,” said Kwon.
“One of the coaches saw me play during a game and contacted me shortly after. I spoke with him on the phone, and he invited me to visit the school.”
After a successful visit to the campus combined with another successful showcase, she received a D1 offer from UCSD.
After careful consideration with her friends and family, she decided to announce her commitment on November 11th, 2024.
“I’ve known Sophia for the last six years and her work ethic and dedication athletically and academically have really inspired me,” said senior Kate Fukushima.
“She puts in the work every day and it’s great to see that her work has paid off.”