Soccer. It’s fun, entertaining, and a lot of exercise. But for Pauline Kihura ’20, it’s also a fond memory from her childhood. Born in Kenya, Kihura moved to the United States when she was only two years old. After living in California for about three years, she moved to Texas, and then to Iowa at the age of eight. It was in Iowa that Kihura first saw people playing sports, and from the moment she did, she knew she wanted to join in.

Pauline started playing ISC later that year, and now she’s trying to get a soccer scholarship for college. The sport has been influential in her life, and is one of the ways Kihura learned to socialize and work with a team. “I like my team,” says Kihura. As one of the founders, she has been playing soccer alongside many of the same people for years. “We work well together… [we have] good team chemistry.” Kihura has formed a strong bond with her teammates. She has always enjoyed playing because soccer is fun, helps her stay in shape, and makes her happy.

Kihura also likes to make other people happy, and that’s why she wants to become a physical therapist. Being involved with athletes and spreading joy to people are both things Kihura enjoys.

Another goal Pauline has is to travel the world. A large part of the reason Kihura wants a job in the medical field is to fund such voyages. Although she was born in Kenya, and occasionally visits family there, what Kihura really wants is to go somewhere new, to see the Earth for herself. She says she wants to “…explore other peoples’ cultures,” and “meet new people,” to learn about these unique societies from their inhabitants. She was very interested in the Queen and British monarchy.

Pauline looks up to people who are able to stand up overcome great difficulties in life, like some of the people in countries she wants to visit. For now, though, she’s practicing hard at the rec field in her spare time, training and studying so that she can follow her dreams.