Senior Spotlight: Allison Kleiner

New Challenges//Graduating from Coronado High School, Allison Kleiner looks forward to what is ahead of her. Having had such an amazing high school experience, she can’t wait to get to college and see what it has in store for her. (Photo courtesy of Allison Kleiner)

Meet Senior Allison Kleiner from the Class of 2026. She is a student-athlete whose high school years have been set to make a clear vision for her upcoming challenges. Allison didn’t just move through high school counting down the days to graduation. Instead, she used each year as an opportunity to challenge herself, improve her athleticism, and prepare for the next level both academically and athletically.

Balancing schoolwork with the demands of competitive soccer was a very hard task. But with discipline and focus, Allison embraced that responsibility and worked twice as hard as any other student athlete. Whether it was early morning workouts, long practices, or late-nights games, she always made sure to finish her assignments and keep her grades up. Her work ethic on and off the field was admirable and showed just how committed she was.

A major highlight of Allison’s high school career was the college recruiting journey. What can often feel overwhelming and nerve-racking for some student athletes became an exciting chapter for her. 

“Getting recruited for college soccer was such a fun experience,” Kleiner said. “Going into my junior year of high school, I started talking to colleges, and then when the school year started, I got to go on visits to different schools so that I could see where my new home was going to be.” 

Although going on visits to colleges could have set her back in her classes in comparison to her peers by missing a lot of school work, she never put the books down. She always did the work even when she wasn’t at school. Her commitment to her academics is in part the reason why she has been able to stand out to these universities against the backdrop of students and what makes her prepared for the workload that is to come with attending college in the long run. 

Through conversations with coaches and campus visits, Allison gained clarity about what she truly wanted in a college program.  She was looking for a place that felt like home. After carefully evaluating her options, she found the perfect fit. 

“I committed to Vanderbilt because it checked all of the boxes of everything that I was looking for in a school.” Kleiner said 

After this commitment, it finally eased her mind, but she still had to work hard to prove she deserved to go to Vanderbilt, in both academics and sports. While soccer has been a defining part of her journey, Allison’s high school experience extends far beyond athletics. She formed meaningful friendships, created lasting memories, and learned valuable lessons about resilience and balance. 

“My high school experience was so fun, and there were highs and lows, but the highs outweighed the lows for sure.” 

She has made even more friends her senior year and will soon have to let go of some part of her life that she has made in Vegas, but she will carry it on to Vanderbilt. As she prepares to graduate, Allison Kleiner leaves behind a trail of hard work, positivity, and perseverance. Her journey is a reminder that success comes from embracing every part of the process,  not being scared about what will happen, and just looking at it with an open mind. With Vanderbilt ahead of her, there is no doubt that she will continue striving for excellence and making her mark in this next chapter of her life.