MOOSE JAW — Vanier Collegiate student Leoncia White has hit the bulls-eye with her post-high school plans as she has landed a major sports scholarship with an Ivy League school in New York City.
White, 17, will move to The Big Apple this fall and join Columbia University’s women’s archery team while pursuing a bachelor of science (biochemistry) degree.
The young woman is a compound-bow athlete who has been competing at an elite level for seven years, trains in Regina, has competed locally, provincially, nationally and internationally, and has set provincial and national records.
The Grade 12 student also excels in her academic and extracurricular activities, as she has made the honour roll with an average above 90 per cent and participated in Leadership 101, Valhalla/Valour and the yearbook committee.
White was lost for words when asked what she thought about signing with Columbia’s women’s archery team.
“It’s kind of hard to believe because it’s so far (away) and usually you don’t hear of people going to the States from Moose Jaw,” she said. “It’s just really different (but) I’m really excited.”
White is most excited to travel with the team, after speaking with coach Derek Davis, who told her about the many fun places the group goes to for events.
Columbia University wasn’t the Vanier student’s first choice, as she had originally wanted to go to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia since her grandfather went there and she has family in the state. However, talking with Davis convinced her that the New York City university was the best destination since the archery team is all female, which made her feel comfortable and respected.
“The coach, he’s a really great guy and I felt a connection (because) he was really awesome,” White stated.
She also liked the school’s bachelor of science program since it would enable her to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon. Chuckling, she said she’s always enjoyed watching true crime TV shows, so she initially wanted to be a coroner to perform autopsies — before realizing that was unrealistic for her.
A career in the medical field was usually on her mind, though, since her mother always wanted her to become a nurse. After she researched more about surgeons and doctors, she realized she wanted to fix broken bones.
Meanwhile, White said her interest in archery began seven years ago because her dad, a regular hunter, regularly took her to Cabela’s Sporting Goods in Regina. During one in-store event, she shot a floating ball with a marshmallow-tipped arrow, prompting a store employee to invite her to shoot a real bow at the store’s range, thus beginning her love for the sport.
White said joining Columbia’s archery team is a validation of the hard work and effort she’s dedicated to the sport and her academics, while she’s always been humble about her accomplishments and rarely promoted her achievements publicly.
“I’ve think I’ve grown more passionate about (archery) in the last couple of years … ,” she continued, noting that she initially participated in the sport for fun before becoming serious about it after transferring to the Regina club and receiving more coaching during her weekly training sessions.
White appreciates the community that the Regina club creates, while she also enjoys how welcoming its members are. She pointed out that even though archery is an individual sport, other club members are usually willing to provide guidance and support.
“It’s fun because it doesn’t matter where you place (in a competition), it’s how you feel about your performance,” she added.
For more information about Columbia University’s women’s archery team, click here.
