Glory Chung has always been up for a challenge.
A born athlete, Chung recently graduated from Great Neck South High School. In her four years at South High, she has become a true leader on and off the field.
Since her freshman year, Chung has been a member of the lacrosse team and the varsity field hockey team at South High. In her junior and senior years, she served as team captain of the varsity field hockey team. The team’s starting forward for four years, Chung was the team’s leading scorer and started in every single game.
Chung’s passion for athletics began in the third grade.
“I went to my sister’s high school field hockey game and instantly got hooked,” Chung recalled. “The excitement and thrill enticed me.”
As she cheered on her big sister from the sidelines, Chung aspired to follow in her footsteps.
“My sister was my biggest inspiration and role model,” she said. “I always wanted to do the same activities as her and be just like her.”
In her junior year, Chung was one of 96 South High School students recognized by the Great Neck Public Schools Board of Education for contributing to the quality of life at the school.
In the fall of her senior year, Chung notched 13 goals and four assists as captain of the field hockey team. In recognition of her outstanding play, Chung was selected by Newsday as a forward for the second All-Long Island Field Hockey Team. The first player in Great Neck South history to receive such a prestigious honor, Chung was also the second-leading goal scorer in Nassau County.
Earlier this year, the talented athlete received the Outstanding Physical Education Award from the Nassau Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYSAHPERD), one of only four students from the Great Neck Public Schools to earn such an honor.
A true star, Chung was immediately recognized as one of South High School’s top athletes.
“Glory is a leader and born scorer,” said Thomas Umstatter, the athletic director at South.
For athletes like Chung, sports are much more than just a game. Rather, they are physical and mental quests, and opportunities to grow and improve.
“Whether I want to beat my mile time, sprint faster, learn a new skill or dodge, or set a record for myself, there is always something more to work for,” she explains. “There is always room for improvement.”
Off the field, Chung participated in a number of clubs throughout high school, including Girls Varsity Club, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Club and Technovation Club.
The multi-sport athlete was also a part of the Tarumi Violinists for eight years, a program comprised of gifted students of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds from the New York metropolitan area. She has performed at the United Nations on multiple occasions, has traveled to Tokyo, Japan, and hospitals throughout the nation in an effort to spread joy through music.
This September, Chung will begin a new journey as she embarks upon her college life.
She will be studying computer science at Syracuse University and plans to join the field hockey and lacrosse clubs.
“I knew I wanted to go to a school where school spirit was huge and where sports are valued, and Syracuse was the best choice for me for that reason,” Chung explained.
Regardless of the challenges that lie ahead for Chung, there is no doubt that when the time comes, it will be game on.
