Maggie Lena, who earned a master’s in Public Health at West Chester University, has signed on to play professional soccer in Israel, writes Grace Adams for the Santa Monica Daily Press. 

Lena recently joined F.C. Kiryat Gat, which competes in the Israeli First League and the Israeli Women’s Cup. 

Lena tried many sports when she was a kid, but soccer was the one that she chose to stick with. She played at several local clubs before she continued in high school and college – including playing for the Golden Rams for two years. 

In 2022, she was part of the team that represented the United States in soccer at the Maccabiah Games in Israel. There, she met Israeli coaches and players and eventually she was offered a spot on F.C. Kiryat Gat. 

Three weeks ago, she arrived in Israel and so far, it has been an amazing experience for the talented player. However, she still misses home in Santa Monica, Calif.

“I think it never gets easier saying bye to family for long stretches of time and also just the amazing community that I grew up in,” she said. 

Read more about Maggie Lena in the Santa Monica Daily Press. 

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