Kayla Pedersen

Classroom

Pedersen is on track to graduate with a 3.46 GPA in psychology and communication. She is a two-time Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention.

Character

Entering the 2010-11 season, Pedersen will be serving her third season as a team captain and she is one of the most unselfish people on the team. She has been praised and recognized by her coaches and teammates as well as the media for her modesty, humility and class in handling the highs and lows of any given season. In her three years on the team, Pedersen has played four different positions at various times for the Cardinal. Recognized as one of the most versatile players in the nation, Pedersen’s unselfishness and willingness to put the team’s interests ahead of her own individual stats is highlighted by her total willingness to play at any position that will give the team its best chance of winning.

Community

Among the community efforts Pedersen has been a part of, she and her teammates have visited patients and families staying at the Ronald McDonald House throughout the past year, in addition to making visits to local elementary and middle schools to talk to students about the importance of education, exercise, nutrition and self-esteem. She has also participated in basketball clinics for young girls through Bay Area Women in Sports Initiative (BAWSI) and during the holiday season, Pedersen and her teammates have helped provide gifts, decorations and other helpful items for families in need through Adopt-A-Family. In spring 2010, Pedersen volunteered through Second Mile by spending time helping to remodel Brentwood Academy in East Palo Alto.

Competition

After leading Stanford to its second national title game appearance in three years, Pedersen was honored on the All-Pac-10 first team, the All-Final Four team and she received Pac-10 all-defensive team honorable mention. Pedersen has been a leader on the team since her freshman season, when she was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, and she could become the only player in Stanford history to start every game in her career. Pedersen is also on pace to become just the fourth player in Cardinal history to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.