Rising Senior Spotlight: Brandon Jeong of P.K. Yonge

Brandon Jeong of P.K. Yonge
Brandon Jeong of P.K. Yonge
Vanessa Gaspar

Rising senior Brandon Jeong of P.K. Yonge will play at least three sports this year for the Blue Wave: swimming, soccer, and tennis. He said he might even play golf.

Jeong, who is also a club officer, manages these activities while also excelling in the classroom as an honor roll student.

“Brandon is a very disciplined athlete with an incredible work ethic who can adapt to many scenarios and respond to any circumstance,” said P.K. Yonge soccer coach Jose De Leon. “For him to be able to excel in the water, on a tennis court, and on a soccer field, is amazing. It helps when we consider how smart Brandon is.”

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De Leon said the school embraces and celebrates his diversity.

“Brandon is the perfect example of a diverse student athlete who excels in many areas and represents every group he is in with dignity, pride and honor,” he said. “Here we want kids to be creative, dedicated, and resilient learners who embrace the power of diverse ideas, talents, and cultures to improve our world. Brandon represents everything we stand for in our institution and everything we strive for in our athletic program.”

In soccer last season Brandon played 958 minutes over 19 games and made 101 steals. That was a big improvement from his sophomore year, when he only played 262 minutes over 16 games and made two assists and 15 steals.

Last year Jeong earned the most improved defensive player for the soccer program.

“As I developed as a defensive player, I have been able to improve my game a lot under Coach De Leon’s guidance,” he said.

Jeong will play right back or center defender for the Blue Wave soccer team this fall.

Brandon Jeong and P.K. Yonge swim team

In the pool, he set school swimming records in 2020. He will participate in the freestyle, the backstroke and the fly in the upcoming season.

On the tennis court, Jeong will be the No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles player for the team.

“One of the things I admire the most about Brandon is that despite being a serious guy, he is very emotional, and we can tell he loves our program, every sport he plays in” De Leon said. “Another thing I admire about Brandon is his ability to learn from mistakes and never shut down.”

As someone who has played several sports at P.K. Yonge, he has had many memorable times so far.

“My favorite moments would include our swim relay coming together and winning our first state medal, watching our soccer team get built and get better together, and reaching the tennis regional finals,” Jeong said.

His favorite quote is by Dr. Jim Taylor who said, “Motivated people don’t need a motivational speech.”

With that in mind, Jeong has several goals entering his senior year and he’s very confident he will reach them.

He said he wants to “break school records in swimming, win districts and regionals in soccer, and be the first team to go to states in tennis, which is all going to happen.”

“I want to make sure I leave PKY with many records to my name in every sport I participate in, whether it’s individual or a team record,” Jeong said. “I want it all.”

After he’s done with his high school career, Jeong said he is mostly interested in continuing his education at the University of Florida, with psychology, finance/real estate, or medical his top choices.

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