Posted: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 12:05 AM - 12,252 Readers
By: Rick Cantu
Jade, tell me about your family's background.
My dad's side of the family is from Holland, but both of my parents, as well as my sister and I, were born in South Africa.
Did you live there or visit?
My
family and I lived there until I was 3 years old and then we moved to
California. I have also been back a few times since we moved to visit
family and friends who still live there.
What are your best memories of South Africa?
I
remember going to my grandparents' beach house in Hibberdene (a coastal
town). Some of my clearest and fondest memories of South Africa are
from that condo complex. I really loved the tide pools on the beach, and
riding my bike on the wooden pathway through the trees right next to
the beach.
What's the biggest difference between South Africa and the U.S.?
South
Africa is a lot more dangerous than America, so I feel like I am freer
to do fun things here because I don't have to be scared of being robbed
or mugged in my own neighborhood. One thing I really miss is the
specialty foods from South Africa.
What do you remember about the first organized soccer league you played in?
I
played for a team in Novato, Calif., when I was 5 years old. Our team
name was the Strikers, and my dad was the coach. I made a lot of really
good friends from participating in a team sport at such a young age.
If you had the choice of being all-state or valedictorian, which would you choose?
Valedictorian,
because only one person can get that honor, and I think it would be
hugely rewarding to be recognized for all of the hard work I put into my
school work, even with all my extracurricular activities.
Has soccer taught you any lessons you apply in daily life?
Soccer
has taught me how to be part of a group, and really bond with the
people around me. It has also taught me that if you work together and
trust each other, things get done much more effectively than by
individual efforts. I love that soccer is a team sport because it gives
me a second family that I know I can trust and be comfortable around no
matter what.
Tell me something about yourself most people don't know.
Most
people don't know that I used to be a competitive gymnast when I lived
in California. I competed until I was in 7th grade, but when I moved to
Texas, I stopped gymnastics to focus on soccer and volleyball.
What are your college plans?
I
plan on attending Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. I will play
Division I volleyball, and I plan on majoring in some sort of
engineering or mathematics. I am also interested in forensic science.
If you could have dinner with four people in the history of the world, who would they be?
My grandpa who passed away, Taylor Swift, (Spanish soccer player) Fernando Torres and God.
