Women's soccer star Deyna Castellanos is paying it forward to international athletes with scholarships
Bay FC midfielder Deyna Castellanos' foundation helps young international soccer players obtain scholarships to come study and play in the U.S. like she did.
Deyna Castellanos usually faces the goal with a focused gaze, but when she scores a goal, an expansive smile spreads across her face — one known to so many who refer to her as the “queen” of soccer in her native Venezuela.
Castellanos, 25, made news early this year when she signed with Bay FC, the San Francisco-based women’s professional soccer team, on a four-year contract worth $1.8 million dollars, making her the highest-paid foreign player in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Before that, Castellanos played with Atlético de Madrid, Manchester City and the Venezuelan national team, and she holds several records, including as the top scorer in South America’s under-17 championships as well as in the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
“My biggest dream is to qualify with the Venezuelan women’s team for the World Cup,” the athlete said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. “We are growing, we are maturing, and we are evolving in many ways. The goals may change, but the dreams remain the same.”
Castellanos connects her rise in the competitive soccer world to a key event in her life: After distinguishing herself as a young player in international championships despite the limitations of the Venezuelan sports system, Castellanos was awarded a scholarship when she was 16 to study at Florida State University, where she broke records by scoring 47 goals in 77 games.
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