Aiming for the bullseye, senior Julie Kong takes a shot at reaching for her aspirations and dreams as an archer for the Archery Junior Dream Team. She chases a passion deep in her heart for archery and the rewards it holds for her future.

Kong has been competing in archery for seven years now and is keeping her shot on point. Due to inspiration from her mother and father, Kong started archery in fifth grade when her mom signed her up for a class held by an archery coach in Irvine. Little did she know that archery would lead her down a path of success and hard work.

These classes got Kong off to the right start as her skills in her form and focus began to improve.The advice and teachings she received from her coach were received loud and clear.

“You can’t focus on shooting the arrow into the gold, but you need to control your thoughts to be able to shoot well,” Kong said..

In her course of archery, Kong attended a selective camp for archers funded by the National Archery Association last year. The camp is meant to train the most talented archers around the nation. Kong is currently ranked 12 in the nation for Recurve Junior Women division.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet other talented archers around the world and compete,” Kong said.

The Junior Dream Team continuously pushes Kong to do her best in every aspect of the sport. Her father has transformed her into an archer with the accuracy of a professional..

“She has been struggling for some time, but after her hard work and perseverance, I am proud to say she has significantly improved not only in form, but also in score” Mr. Kong said.

On her journey in archery, Kong plans to take a big step next year and continue her success in college. She hopes to make a smooth transition into college as the competition gets better.

“I would like to continue it in college. I am looking for a college that possibly has archery as a sport. Or perhaps as a club team for the college,” said Kong.