Junior Player Spotlight: Pearlie Zhang, Dwight Global Online School

During her freshman year of high school, Pearlie Zhang made the decision to switch from attending public school, and instead enroll at Dwight Global Online School.

As a top junior tennis player, Zhang was looking to put more focus into her tennis training, which included accommodating an ever increasing travel and tournament schedule while not sacrificing academic standards, and Dwight Global was the perfect fit for those needs.

“I was very fortunate to discover Dwight Global and now I’m in my fourth and final year there. The flexibility, engagement and support is truly unmatched alongside their academic rigor. Between transitioning from a different school program to working around tennis training to traveling for tournaments, Dwight Global has been so incredibly supportive and that is definitely something I want to emphasize!”

Zhang specified:

“Teachers and academic advisors are very hands on and their approachability is really helpful in enabling me to easily discuss absences, request extensions, seek assistance with assignments, and arrange meetings with them. It fosters a supportive academic environment that allows me to dedicate more time and effort into tennis while maintaining and thriving through rigorous courses, an incredible aspect that Dwight Global has greatly contributed to my experience as a student-athlete.”

And for the last four years, Zhang has used that flexibility to become one of the best players in the country, continuing a tennis journey that began when she was six-years-old. Zhang played tennis growing up in addition to other sports like gymnastics, swimming, basketball, soccer and ice hockey, as well as singing, acting and modeling. It wasn’t until she was 12-years-old that she began truly focusing on her tennis, and Zhang is grateful for being a part of so many different activities as a youngster.

“I greatly appreciate growing up with a multitude of options because I believe it contributed a lot to my personal development and provided me with a wide range of skills and perspectives,” she explained. “There wasn’t a specific moment where I decided that tennis was the sport for me, but as I put more time and focus into it, I truly came to appreciate the many factors that make this sport so special to me. People I’ve met through tennis have become some of my closest friends and I appreciate the many coaches that I’ve learned from throughout the years.”

For most top players, the college recruitment process can be a difficult one, and the pressure of making the right decision for yourself can create additional stress. When she was going through her recruitment, Zhang was fielding all sorts of offers from schools, and was torn about where she wanted to go, at first.

“It was simultaneously a stressful but exciting period of time,” she confessed. “In all truthfulness, I didn’t really know where I wanted to go, but talking to Jamea Jackson, the Princeton Head Coach, really sealed my decision. Not only is she an incredible coach who I am excited to work with, but she is also an incredible person. I visited Princeton during my junior year and it made me fall in love with the campus, in addition to the many great attributes of Princeton, including their exceptional academic program, inclusive culture and their amazing team who I will be spending my next few years with.”

Zhang is a very physical player who takes a lot of pride in her aggressiveness and willingness to outhustle her opponent on court. The last several months she has been working her way back from an injury and has seen her physical conditioning get back to where it was. She is looking forward to this next chapter, and continuing her personal development, but before she does so, she has things she wants to accomplish.

“A goal I have for myself is to compete and do well in a few national tournaments before the start of the school year,” said Zhang. “In terms of school, I’m really excited to graduate and begin looking into potential subjects for study in college.”

Starting this fall, Zhang will be a part of the Princeton University women’s tennis team. Zhang committed to the Tigers last year and will play her college tennis locally in New Jersey. She aims to make an immediate impact for the Tigers when she arrives on campus. Her tennis growth has been aided by the flexibility and support she received during her four years at Dwight Global, and she will carry those values with her when she arrives on the Princeton campus this fall.