LEIA Edwards, 15, from Grays, is the first person in the UK to be accepted into Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, California, while still at school due to her talents in basketball and her academic ability.
The Ortu Hassenbrook Academy student has been around basketball her whole life and has been working hard in her studies prior to being accepted into the American high school, which was also once home to LeBron James, Kylie and Kendall Jenner and Willow Smith.
Leia began her application process in June 2020 after finding out there was an opportunity for a place in autumn. She began filling our multiple personal statements, writing essays, sending homestay and financial application forms, as well as having Hassenbrook staff send recommendations for her.
Leia also had two interviews with the school, one with her family and one between her and the head of admissions, before finding out she was accepted last month.
Leia said: “It was the day of the England Euro semi-finals against Denmark. Ten minutes before the game started, I was being shouted at from upstairs and I thought “Oh gosh, what have I done now?” That’s when I found out I’d gotten in!
“I started calling friends and family members straight away to tell them the news. When I woke up the next morning, I had so many messages of congratulations. A few weeks after that my basketball coach put something on social media to say I’d been accepted, and I got even more messages!
“It was an incredible feeling. Seeing and hearing all of these people being proud of me made me really happy and it showed all my hard work over the past few years in school was worth it.”
Gwen Edwards, Leia’s mum, said: “My husband was the first to see the email pop up first and we were all ecstatic, it is a fantastic opportunity for Leia. As a mum, of course you don’t want your baby to go across the other side of the world, but she’ll have such an incredible time when she’s out there. We are all just so proud of her.”
Due to her talents in the classroom and on the court, Leia has been awarded financial aid to attend the school. Her education, textbooks, boarding, food and more will be covered due to her exceptional skills. As part of the school’s basketball team, her travel to games, uniforms and training will also be covered by the Sierra Canyon High School.
Leia and her family hope that her place at Sierra Canyon High School will not only help with her basketball career, but also open doors to places in America’s top universities.
Leia said: “I started playing basketball properly when I was 6. We knew Newham Young Bloods coach, Caroline, so she would set me up with drills. It wasn’t until I was nine that I started representing London in tournaments.
“When I was 12, I was selected for one of the first England camps, but the Under 15 category, so I was playing with girls four years older than me. That’s when I realised “Wow, I can actually compete against these girls.” I didn’t realise I was capable of playing as well as I could. Since then, I’ve been playing for Division One women’s team, Barking Abbey, and was chosen for Team GB, but this was put on hold due to Covid.”
Leia’s mum added: “She’s always thinking about what she wants to do next, whether that’s architecture, medicine or law, and her place at Sierra Canyon will be the most incredible opportunity. I’ve always told Leia from a young age that her sports can open doors, but education is the key.
“She might go and play professionally for five or ten years, but after that she’ll need a career – and this school will be great access to the top end of universities in the states, like Stanford and Harvard.”
When it comes to heading to the States in mid-August, after receiving her educational Visa, Leia is excited to attend a diverse school with many different education opportunities.
Leia said: “I’m really excited to be in a school with so many different cultures. They have so many international students attending so I can’t wait to experience that.
“I like the way they structure their classes too, as well as the variety of classes they offer. It’s more of a broad spectrum. Their art classes aren’t just drawing and painting, they have performing arts, visual arts, photography, animation, architecture – all sorts of things.”
In the future, Leia hopes that she will be scouted by one of the many university basketball scouts that attend the school’s games and go on to study at one of the Ivy League schools in America. She has a passion for Law and is interested in medicine, but she is excited to see what path Sierra Canyon will take her on.
Leia and her family would like to thank Ortu Hassenbrook School for pushing her to the best she could be academically, and for supporting her throughout her application. They would also like thank Newham Young Bloods, the UK Basketball community, regional academies and England team coaches for being there to support Leia throughout her basketball career.
