At Monsignor Edward Pace High School (Pace), the name Grace Li is synonymous with trail blazer. That is because the well-rounded Pace senior and Miami Lakes resident has worked tirelessly throughout her life to achieve both athletic and academic success.
As a freshman in 2014, Li became a member of the girls Pace soccer team and led with 48 saves helping them reach the district playoffs. She continued to share her talents during hersophomore year playing all positions and became an active member of the Boca Raton’s Boca United FC team.
Li continues to be a member of Boca’s club team and is currently their senior captain. Some of her other athletic achievements include being part of the 2013 and 2014 Olympic Development Program pool, 2015’s Disney Showcase Finalist and had three consecutive clean sheets in the 2016 ENCL Phoenix National Showcase.
As if her athletic abilities were not enough, Li’s academics speak for themselves. She currently holds a 5.5 GPA and has held her position on the Principal’s Honor Roll since freshman year. She achieved a perfect math SAT score of 800, is the Senior Class president, an AP scholar, president of the Future Business Leaders of America Club, a National Honor Society member and also a member of the English, Math and Science National Honor Societies.
Li follows a proud Spartan legacy as her father Phillip Li is a class of 1982 alumnus, an engineer by trade and has been a member of Pace’s faculty for more than a decade. Li’s aunt Maria is a 1981 alumna and brother Braden graduated from Pace in 2012, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and is currently pursuing his PHD in Material Science and Engineering at North Carolina State in Raleigh.
Last week Pace’s administration building was decked out in green and black, Loyola University Maryland’s school colors. Surrounded by family members, friends and fellow Spartans, Li signed her athletic contract to play for the university’s women’s soccer team. In addition, she also received Loyola’s Presidential Merit Scholarship which is granted to incoming freshman students based on superior academic ability and achievement.
Li will play under head coach Naomi Melburger and alongside Patriot League standouts Lily Andres, Sumer Rate, Olivia Meinyk and Nicole Rivas.
Li plans to continue to balance her academics and athletics in Loyola as she hopes to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
During the signing ceremony, Pace’s Dean of faculty Lilian Dubon commended Li for not only being a “stellar athlete”, but also for being in the one percent of her class and offered a prayer that through her continued “force, dedication and passion for success” she will be driven to continue “breaking barriers” in all of her future endeavors. Li is set to begin Loyola University Maryland in the Fall of this year.