“Vanilla. That’s my favorite flavor of ice cream. I just won two quarts of McConnell’s ice cream at a fishing contest on the Wharf and I got vanilla. Last year I won the whole contest by catching 28 fish in two hours.”  As you might imagine, there is nothing ‘plain vanilla’ about Katherine Monroy – the latest recipient of the Bryan Brothers Scholarship from the Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons.  The scholarship is awarded annually to a Santa Barbara area child, age 10-12  who has promising tennis talent, good character and academics, and financial need.  The $2,500 scholarship provides USTA membership, equipment from the Bryans’ sponsors, entry into Patrons’ tennis tournaments and other tennis expenses.

Katherine, ten years old, will be entering 5th grade at Cleveland Elementary School this coming Fall.  Her favorite class is music and she plays the piano and violin. She’s not interested in being a rock star – maybe play for an orchestra – but her real ambition is to be a tennis pro and win a Grand Slam. She looks up to Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic.  She first hit tennis balls with her dad at age three and a half at Muni Courts.  And they still hit every Saturday morning at 6:00 in the morning. When asked about the early hour, her father, Santiago, smiled a shy smile  and said “if you wants to be good – you have to practice hard.” She’s hit with Jimmy Connors and has a picture with him holding her when she was young.  When she’s not on the tennis court, she’s making Friendship bracelets and lanyards and selling them. She’s a big sister with big ambitions – her two younger sisters ages 5 and 6 months keep her busy as well.

Keep your eye out for a young rising star in the well rounded and grounded Katherine Monroy – a fisherwoman,  musician, entrepreneur and tennis player.