Girls’ Varsity lacrosse team captain, co-league MVP, first team all county, Beckman lacrosse MVP, scholar-athlete of the year, and Pacific Coast League MVP. These are just a few of the accomplishments of 18 year-old Beckman senior Kylie Wong, an inspiration to the Beckman Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team and a future USC Trojan.
Wong worked hard to achieve her position as captain and is now reaping the benefits of her determination and willpower. A varsity lacrosse player since freshman year, Wong knows what it takes to become a successful team player and leader. “You need hard work and dedication,” she said, “I recommend that you be yourself and have fun with it.”
Wong was exposed to lacrosse from a young age since her older brother also played. “I started lacrosse in the 7th grade. My brother taught me and because I looked up to him, he influenced me a lot.” Following in her brother’s footsteps, Wong volunteers as a student-coach for Pioneer Middle School’s lacrosse team. Wong was able to take the love of lacrosse that her brother had instilled in her and use it for the betterment of others, and to give back to her community.
As leader on the lacrosse team, Wong was looked to as an example to guide and inspire the younger players. “Lacrosse taught me to be more confident and outspoken in leadership roles,” she said. Bonding is no problem for the team, who are all close-knit. “It’s like having a second family at Beckman. There’s a lot of camaraderie between the players,” she commented.
In spite of long and tiring lacrosse practices, Wong also has a strenuous course load and demanding extracurricular activities like the S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) club and Senior Class Council. What’s more, she has been battling a very severe condition called “senioritis” which seems to render its victims lethargic and unmotivated. “My senioritis is pretty bad now that APs are done, I take 2-hour naps every day after school,” she said, “In order to fight it off, I try and workout and stay active in school.”
When she’s not playing lacrosse or taking naps, Wong can be found hanging out with friends, eating with a passion, or honing her secret talent: art. “I’d like to think I’m a pretty good artist,” Wong said with a chuckle. She also likes to surprise people with her badminton and Rubik’s cube-solving skills.
A die-hard Trojan, Wong feels “stoked” to continue on the next step in her life and study architecture at USC. She has already signed up for a club lacrosse team at the university and is excited to play for a program so “well established.” To her lacrosse teammates whom she’s seen grow and mature as players and individuals, all she can say is, “Fight on.”
Hi Jae, great article! Your use of and positioning of pictures makes this seem like an article from a magazine, which is a fresh twist.
Try to be more newspapery though- try to give more facts, and focus less on telling a story.
Overall, nice work!
Hey Jae, Nice work on the article. It has a clear focus and transitioning. The pictures are eye-catching as well!