For years, Westminster Christian School senior Ashley King played softball. She played for her school Westminster and the Miami Waves travel softball team. One of King’s highlights was being part of the Westminster Softball teams that had back-to-back state championships.
“Unfortunately, at the end of my junior year, I injured my knee so I could not play softball this year,” she says. “I’m happy the team is doing great this year. I’m cheering for them to have another State Championship.”
Her Freshman and Sophomore year she also swam for Westminster.
“I’m most thankful for my swim Coach Lou,” she says. “He taught me how to be a better swimmer and he taught me to never give up.”
During her Junior year, she made the cheerleading squad, following in her mom’s footsteps. Her mother was a professional cheerleader with the Miami Dolphins and the Miami Heat. She also was a member of the Westminster sailing team.
Unfortunately, during her Sophomore year she suffered a seizure. She had to quit sailing and swimming.
“It was a down point in my life,” she says. “I had to give up things I loved.”
But this didn’t stop King from moving forward. This year, she’s an assistant coach for St. Louis Covenant School girls’ softball team.
“To help other girls in softball is a privilege and honor,” King says.
Apart from all her involvement in sports. Ashley is passionate about community service.
Currently, she is organizing a drive to collect sports items to be donated to the organization New Hope for Haiti which will take the items to be distributed to children in Haiti. She hopes to be able to collect the items at her school before the end of the year.
She’s looking for soccer balls, footballs, and baseball gear.
“I have three brothers who play baseball,” she says. “So we have a lot of baseball gear that we are donating.”
She was involved in SOS; Students Offering Support. This group worked with the Melissa Institute to prevent Bullying as well as working with HIS HOUSE organization.
She also volunteers at St. Louis Catholic Church Humanities Ministry. She’s wrapped gifts during the Christmas season and has worked at the Festival for the Poor.
In 2018, she received the Presidential Service Award for Community Service. The award recognized her involvement with her community, church, and school.
“It was an honor to receive a letter from our President,” she says.
She is a member of the French Club in honor of her Grandfather who was from Haiti and spoke French. She is a member of the Rho Kappa Society and the National Art Honor Society.
The Art Honor Society is currently helping to paint a mural of Noah’s Ark at Christ Fellowship Church.
Because of the art classes King has been at school she’s discovered she loves to paint, especially nature and wildlife scenes. She also loves doing ceramics.
Before the 2018 elections, she volunteered for the Congressional Leadership Fund for Carlos Curbelo.
“I got to meet a lot of people who cared about the environment, the economy and our government,” she says.
She answered phones, made calls and went door-to-door to talk to voters about important issues.
Last summer, King participated in a program at the Busch’s School of Business at Catholic College. There she developed a product and business plan which was presented at a Shark Tank type panel.
King will be attending Florida International University and plans to major in entrepreneurship.
Linda Bernfeld Rodriguez
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