kina kong
beluga whale

(preliminary info subject to change)

Kina Kong never took No for an answer. Strong, resourceful and willful even as a calf, Kina was always drawn towards things deemed impossible. And most things worth accomplishing often felt like that in her family. Though her parents were loving, they were far from supportive of her endeavors. When Kina languished academically and her counselors warned her that her chances of graduating high school at this rate were slim, Kina took it upon herself to put in extra work after school. When her parents told her they she couldn’t go to college because they couldn’t afford it, Kina found and earned every penny to pay for it. Her early aspirations to pursue basketball, a sport best known for species more agile and athletic than whales, were met with resistance. Even making varsity in high school was a battle despite putting up impressive numbers and being known for changing the pace of the game with contested clutch shots. When an opponent says No, Kina says Yes.

Kina became a dependable role player who liked coming off the bench to be the difference maker and turn the tides. She made her presence felt the moment she started university, coming into every class, every practice and every game like she owned it. Though her seasons with Samson Creek University did not yield any championships, she racked up accolades and broke school records, and helped spirit her team to the longest win streak in her Samson Creek history.

Though Kina started college with general studies so she could focus on her sport, she had ambitions of eventually going into the medical field. Friends of Kina laughed, not because they didn’t think she would accomplish it, but because “Kina would be the scariest, most intimidating nurse ever.”