On one of the biggest days of her life, Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Kayla Mokwuah '18 led with the same thing that's her greatest asset on the basketball court – her heart.
What started out as very thoughtful and eventually became fittingly emotional, Kayla signed her National Letter of Intent to attend and play basketball at George Washington University.
The ceremony, which included people peeking in through the windows, was held Nov. 9 in the Board Room of the WMA Athletic Center.
"It was a long time coming," said the 6-foot-4-inch center, who verbally committed to the District of Columbia school in February. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I'm excited, and excited for next year. I'm grateful for everyone who came and supported me."
"To see our community come out and support her is a testament to her and what she has done in the year she has been here," Coach Durelle Brown added. "She's a friend of many with a great personality. It was a great day all around."
Kayla's speech helped make the day great. She graciously thanked many people, including her WMA family, before tearing up and her voice cracking as she thanked her family.
At the collegiate level, Kayla will play for one of the most respected coaches in the country in Jennifer Rizzotti. Interestingly, coach Rizzotti started recruiting Kayla when she and her staff were at the University of Hartford.
"I immediately had a great connection with the assistant coach, Jackie Smith," Kayla said. "She's from around here and we know her dad. We had that connection to start. As I met the rest of the staff, and Coach Rizzotti, who's a legend, that's all part of the deal. When I went for my visit everyone was so welcoming and I loved the girls. I loved the campus and the city."
Kayla averaged 25 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks last year for the Titans, who finished the regular season 16-4 and reached the semifinal round of the New England tournament. While she was certainly an impact on the court for the Titans, Coach Brown said Kayla has been just as important off the court to WMA.
"She's a program changer, and that's not just on the court," Coach Brown explained. "She's a young lady who has helped us grow. A lot of the girls who are here now are here because they saw Kayla transfer here and saw her have success, or you have someone like Alana (Perkins '19) from Wisconsin who saw all the articles on Kayla and a program that's growing."
Kayla said he's grown tremendously while at WMA, particularly with Coach Brown's guidance and a senior-laden team from the 2016-17 season.
"Coach Brown was instrumental in bringing me here and has helped me develop that last year or so," Kayla said. "I'm thankful for him. He's done a lot for me. He's part of my family now. I'm grateful he brought me here and showed me WMA and how great of a community it is. My teammates from last year were so important in the process and I can't thank them enough, even though they aren't here anymore. That was a great team and I'm happy I got to play with those girls."