Lea Karren is a mass communication junior and plays for the UTRGV Women’s Tennis Team. Karren, a native of Pont I’Abbé, France, was an exchange student at Jourdanton High School in the South Texas city of Jourdanton. She was the first to win the Texas State 3A Singles Championship for her high school during her junior year.
Q: What are some of your hobbies?
A: “I like to play golf with my brothers. That’s something that I do a lot. … I love to go to the beach. … That’s something that I very much enjoy to do just, like, laying there and having a good time or, like, go on walks.”
Q: What movies or shows do you like?
A: “I like funny movies, like, you know, something where you go with it and don’t really think about it. … Actually, I like [Netflix’s] ‘Selling Sunset.’ I like seeing cool houses, decorations. … I like ESPN documentaries and sports.”
Q: What has been your proudest moment?
A: “I was an exchange student in Jourdanton, Texas, in 2017-2018 and I was able to win for the first time, like, the state championship for my school. So, that was a very proud moment for me and the school.”
Q: Who is one of your role models?
A: “One of my role models would be Kobe Bryant. I [liked] his work ethic. He [was] very passionate about what he did and [was] always doing a little bit extra. And he always [had] the right attitude off the court and on the court. [He was] always a good leader for his teammates.”
Q: Do you have any fun facts about yourself?
A: “Yeah, I was a ballkeep at the [2018] French Open. I was the one who was giving balls to players. It was pretty amazing. I was able to be ballkeep for Rafael Nadal [and] Novak Djokovic. … I was 17, so I was pretty young.”
Q: Is there something you want people to know about you?
A: “I will say that I’m very religious, never miss church on Sundays. I go to all [Fellowship of Christian Athletes] meetings here at school. That would be something that you didn’t see at first.”
–Compiled by Jose Medina
