Former CBU Women's Soccer Star Goes Pro

In her two short years as a California Baptist University Lancer, Kelly Jenks quickly became a big name for the Lancers. With the amount of passion she has for soccer, it comes as no surprise the former CBU forward has signed for a professional team. After her time at CBU ended, Jenks still wanted to play soccer and signed with an agency based in Germany. "The day after we got eliminated from the NCAA Division II tournament my senior year, I sat down and thought, I am so not done playing soccer," said Jenks. "I prayed about it and it just felt right to keep pursuing it. Playing soccer had always been a dream of mine growing up, but I definitely didn’t understand what that entailed or the commitment it would require—literally blood, sweat and tears. Even as I got older, however, that dream never disappeared." Nothing happened at first, which got Jenks thinking maybe playing overseas wasn't in store for her. "I had been training hard since June 2014 — gym four times a week, running, lifting, playing with a couple teams in the area — and around Christmas time that year, I was at the point where I’d accepted that maybe my plan of going overseas after college to play soccer wasn’t a part of God’s plan," said Jenks. "I had thought of other backup options for the next phase in my life that included branching out of California and pursuing things related to coaching, training and marketing. I’d reached the point where I was content with whatever direction God would lead me and trusted that whatever was going to happen was meant to happen!" With her steadfast faith, Jenks finally got the news she had been dreaming about. Kokkola FC10 of Finland got word of the soccer star's highlight reel and wanted to sign her. "When my agent contacted me about the team in Finland, I was home alone, and ran around my house and did a celebratory dance and thanked the Big Man, before calling my parents," said Jenks. "I had been waiting for the call. When I found out it was Finland I was stoked because I had wanted to play in one of the Scandinavian countries. I have some Swedish relatives and Sweden was my first choice, but I had heard many good things about all the Scandinavian countries and the soccer there, including Finland." Even though she has Scandinavian roots, Jenks knows she will get homesick, but she's hoping the excitement of a new environment and adventure will help subdue those feelings. She also won't be a lone American on the roster for Kokkola FC10, her new roommate Clara Slayton — who played collegiately at the University of Houston — will be there too. "I’m sure it will be a culture shock and I will get homesick — I’ve never been out of the country and have lived in California my whole life — but I know this will be such a good opportunity to grow, meet new people and use soccer as a platform to do this," said Jenks. "The athlete inside me is also super excited to be in a competitive environment again. There is nothing like putting yourself to the test and pushing your limits. I’m looking forward to seeing how God will continue to use soccer in my life because I want to keep improving and I don’t feel like I’ve reached my full potential. These past few months have been exciting because I’ve worked on different areas of my game and am feeling like a more complete soccer player than I was in college." If the Palo Alto, Calif. native thinks she is more of a complete soccer player than she was in college, Kokkola FC10 is going to have a huge offensive weapon in their arsenal. In 2012, Jenks' first year with CBU, she scored 16 goals and assisted on six others to earn All-PacWest first-team honors and helped the Lancers win a National Christian College Athletic Association Championship and be named the tournament MVP as well. She followed up with a stellar senior year, once again finding the back of the net 16 times and adding eight assists to be named PacWest Player of the Year as well as another all-conference first-team recognition, leading the Lancers to their first-ever NCAA Division II postseason appearance. "I’m embarking on a new journey, which is a bit intimidating, but I think this offers up a great opportunity to reach new people and really put my faith to the test," said Jenks. "It will be tough at times because I’m doing something out of my comfort zone, but I know God’s by my side and that everything happens for a reason. I’m so excited for what’s to come!”