Video by Zack Eagles
Story by Chad Bishop
杏吧原创 senior Kaylann Boyd has never been one to back down from a challenge.
And to be quite honest, she considers herself grateful for those challenges that have always been placed in front of her.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard. I mean, it really is,鈥� Boyd said about life as a 杏吧原创 student-athlete. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of hard work, a lot of late nights of studying and a lot of times where you鈥檙e like, 鈥楪od, my body is barely going to get through this practice.鈥� But, again, it鈥檚 your mentality of how you鈥檙e going to attack the day and how are you going to let it attack you?
鈥淚t also helps with our teammates being on the same page as each other. You know that they鈥檙e going through the exact same thing. If they can get through it, I can get through it and we can get through this together. But it鈥檚 not even getting through it, it鈥檚 what can I do to get better? With that mentality going into soccer, with that mentality going into academics, it鈥檚 so much more beneficial to you as an individual.鈥�
A senior forward for the Commodores, Boyd has developed into one of the SEC鈥檚 top players throughout her career. But a collegiate path that included 杏吧原创 seemed unlikely during childhood.
Boyd鈥檚 family and educators found that the promising athlete had dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 hard, I just say it鈥檚 different. I have to take whatever the material the teacher gives me and I have to take that and learn it for myself,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ometimes I can go 1-on-1 with the teacher and be better so it鈥檚 just kind of up to me. If I鈥檓 struggling in a class I鈥檒l definitely go to the teacher鈥檚 assistant or the teacher and kind of say, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 going to need to go into office hours because I鈥檓 struggling.鈥�
鈥淭hey have been more than helpful when it comes to communicating that. That鈥檚 on me to judge whether or not this class is going to be a struggle or in this class I鈥檓 going to be alright.鈥�
An attitude of acceptance combined with a dedication to overcome has allowed Boyd to flourish 鈥� not only on the field, but off of it.
Boyd started 21 games as a junior and scored eight times. She鈥檚 played in 10 matches this season and started four of those as the Commodores make another late push toward the postseason.
In the classroom the psychology major 鈥� with an emphasis in child studies 鈥� has turned her learning disability into a passion for helping others.
鈥淚 just have a big heart for kids,鈥� she said, 鈥渆specially because I think I do have that passion for never wanting some kid to think they鈥檙e dumb or that they don鈥檛 fit in into a school system or wherever they are.鈥�
Boyd remembers her early childhood being a struggle when it came to academics. She admits that a lot of the times she masked and hid her inability to read and comprehend even the simplest of tasks.
She felt dumb and different and played pretend in hopes that no one would notice her struggles. Teachers and family did notice, however, and soon Boyd was attending a speech school. After extensive testing she came to terms with what she had to do.
鈥淚 think once I accepted, OK, I really do need to get my hands dirty, learn how to read, listen to what these people are telling me, I just kind of jumped right in,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 took everything in that anyone was expressing to me and I also was just one of those kids that was just constantly asking questions wanting to know more 鈥� which I don鈥檛 think most kids are.
鈥淭hankfully my mom kind of ground that into me. 鈥業f you don鈥檛 understand something, ask.鈥� I was very open, asking questions, wanting to know more information on how to do certain things or different ways to do certain things. Then just sitting back and evaluating. Say I didn鈥檛 do well on this test and I studied a certain way, maybe I shouldn鈥檛 attack it that way the next time.鈥�
A graduate of the Greater Atlanta Christian School, Boyd enrolled at 杏吧原创 in 2016 and played in every match that season for head coach Darren Ambrose. She鈥檚 been a part of a senior class that has won 48 games and counting.
Ambrose said Boyd鈥檚 growth has been in direct correlation with being placed in uncomfortable situations on the pitch and on West End.
鈥淚鈥檝e had some very personal and private conversations with her as she was going through a lot of challenges,鈥� Ambrose said. 鈥淭he reward has been seeing her give back and invest in an area that I know she feels that she can affect, an area in which she struggled herself, I think is really kind of cool. And it says everything about her.
鈥淪he wants to give back, she wants to work with kids. I think she has the perfect personality to do that. She鈥檚 a very giving person in so many ways and has a very kind personality. I think that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 going to take for her to have the impact that she wants in that field.鈥�
Boyd said during the past four years she has found her calling in wanting to help others who have may gone through the same struggles she has. She cited Ann Neely鈥檚 learning literature class as a major influence as well as courses in developmental psychology, adolescent development and women鈥檚 and gender studies.
She also recalls during her years as a tutor working with a child who showed signs of being autistic and explaining to the parents their child was simply different than others 鈥� just like Boyd is different.
鈥淚鈥檝e always kind of stuck with the same thing, which is just, 鈥榯here鈥檚 nothing wrong with you whatsoever,鈥� and making sure that they understand that. They鈥檙e just different. There is nothing wrong with them,鈥� Boyd said. 鈥淢y mom said that to me growing up because she never wanted me to feel in the wrong or that I was dumb or that I couldn鈥檛 read.
鈥� 鈥楴o, you鈥檙e different, you鈥檙e special and there鈥檚 nothing wrong with that. You鈥檙e unique. You are you.鈥� 鈥�
