Whether it’s on the golf course or in the classroom, junior Frances Kim excels, juggling her rigorous classes and school work all while maintaining her status of the 12th nationally ranked golf player in her age group.  Recently, Kim committed to the prestigious University of Southern California (USC) as a golfer for her class of 2027. 

Kim recalls when she started the sport that later became her biggest passion.  

“My grandfather is a golf addict and plays literally every day,” Kim said.  “Because of him, I started playing when I was nine years old.  At first it was just basic ball putting, but later, I got a coach and started taking golf more seriously.”

Kim entered various tournaments and worked her way up in national rankings as an individual player.  She later joined the PVHS varsity golf team as a freshman, where she began her high school golf career.  

Kim’s fellow teammates praise her dedication and contributions to the team.  

“I met Frances when she was a freshman, and right off the bat, I thought she was super nice and fun to be around,” senior and teammate Cassidy Virzi said. “She’s a really good player and I felt that she gave the team so much motivation to work as hard as her.”

“I’ve known Frances since I was 12 because we played in the same tournaments,” senior and teammate Kiyomi Komatsu said. 

“I knew she was going to be an amazing player in the future, and definitely play college golf and maybe go pro. Her work ethic was amazing, even back then. Having that much discipline and continuing that growth is so impressive and rare.”

Kim started the committing process in the summer before her sophomore year. 

“The committing process itself was actually very stressful,” Kim said. “It was nerve wracking knowing that college scouts were watching me at my tournaments.” 

“On the other hand, it was really gratifying and exciting. A lot of top schools I never thought would reach out to me like Yale, Harvard and Stanford reached out to me. I was so honored and felt super blessed to have spoken to all these colleges.”

Kim visited USC in the fall last year, and instantly felt a connection to the school and its offerings. Besides the robust athletic programs, Kim was attracted to how close the school was to home. 

“Staying close to PV where all my friends and family are was really important to me throughout this whole process,” Kim said. 

“My mom has been my biggest role model and supporter, so I knew I wanted to remain close to her and all of my supporters back home.”

After committing to USC in November, Kim feels relieved of the upcoming stress her fellow peers feel about applying to college and keeping up with school.

“I know now that no matter what happens, I’ll still be able to go to the school I’ve always dreamed of going to,” Kim said. 

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Kim has accepted an offer to attend USC and play on the golf team. (Photo courtesy of Frances Kim)