Angela Lombard - Santa Ana College

As a first-generation American citizen, Angela Lombard has enjoyed success on and off the field, despite being the “first” of many things in her family.

After her mother, born in Holland, and father, born in South Africa, gave birth to her brother and sister in two different countries, Angela was the first to be born in the United States of America. In her own house, no less.

She later became the first in her family to attend college after attending Pacific Coast High School, an online public high school. Lombard cites her family’s unfamiliarity with America’s school system, and living the “European-style,” with their choice.

Her brother, born in Holland, and her sister, born in England, each attended private high schools and it wasn’t until after Angela enrolled at Santa Ana College that her sister would also enroll in college.

Attending an online high school left Angela without extra-curricular options like soccer so she joined club teams which provided her rare social opportunities. However, it was attending the online high school that Angela says helped her learn discipline and time management.

Those two strengths are something that came in handy after Angela received her first ‘B’ in a class. After being a straight-A student her whole life, Angela found herself with a ‘B’ during her first soccer season at SAC. While that was a first for her, she’s made sure to not get another one.

To Angela, soccer is a place to unwind and enjoy time with teammates. “Soccer has been an amazing break from school,” Angela said. “I’m able to come out and look up at the sky and enjoy it.”

But if you watch Angela compete, you wouldn’t see it as a “break” from anything. And while she considers it a “break,” she also treats it like a job.

“People complain about balancing work and school,” Angela said. “But being an athlete is just as difficult.”

So, the focus and determination Angela puts into her schoolwork is equally put into her performance on the soccer field. The success she enjoys off the field is just as apparent on the field. Angela has been a defensive starter for the Dons for two seasons.

The Dons record this season, however, is deceiving to the success of their defensive core. The Dons have played in six, one-goal games to go along with three wins and two ties. They’ve held second-place Orange Coast College to just one goal in each of their two matches, a testament to their defense, which Angela plays right in the middle of.

From here, Angela hopes to continue to pursue a degree in education with the goal of becoming a math teacher. That is, of course, unless soccer continues to call her. In which case Angela will proudly follow in her family’s footsteps and focus on graphic design, just like her father and brother.