We’re pleased to announce that FirstPoint USA client, Maddie Cleat, has confirmed her place and is heading to the University of California, Berkeley with a field hockey scholarship. Maddie hails from Kilmacolm, and attends St. Columbus School where she is currently sitting her final year exams.
Maddie has had a very successful sporting career so far including; playing for Kelburne Hockey Club for four seasons, being first XI captain for her school team this season, playing for Scotland’s U16 team for two years while gaining 14 caps, and currently playing her second year with the Scotland U18s, where she has had around 20 caps. However, Maddie is not only talented when it comes to hockey, she also plays golf and was in the Scottish Golf Academy for a year. However, she decided to give this up in order to focus on hockey. Despite having numerous sporting accolades, Maddie states her greatest sporting achievement so far to be playing in front of a home crowd in the European Tournament, in Glasgow, last year. Throughout the tournament, Maddie and her team got to play against countries such as Italy, Belarus and Austria.
Maddie stated she wished to study out in America, as she knows a few girls who have done so already and have absolutely loved it. She was also keen to study in America as it would provide a completely new and different opportunity from what Maddie could be offered from studying at home.
Maddie has now committed to Cal Berkeley. She stated that going into the scholarship process, she was always keen to go to California because of the weather there and the amazing things she had heard about it. From speaking to the coach and looking up the facilities at Cal Berkley, Maddie thought it would be a fantastic place to both play hockey and to study. Maddie also took advice onboard from FirstPoint CEO, Andrew Kean, who had told her that that Cal Berkley would be a fantastic university to attend.
After committing to Cal Berkeley, Maddie went on her first official visit to the university and told us that it was everything she had expected and more. Maddie told us she is most looking forward to studying there for the hockey seasons as well as to be in California for the four years of her degree.
We asked Maddie where she sees herself in ten years time; she was unsure yet as is still undecided on what subjects to study at university. But, notes that there will be countless opportunities for her out in the states after having completed her degree, so she will have plenty of options.
We’d like to wish Maddie the best of luck in her studies and playing career at Cal Berkeley, and we will keep you updated on her progress out in the states through our various social media platforms.
