Sophomore Neha Higa is a participant in the prestigious combat sport of fencing. Although a little late to the game, she gained a passion for the sport, which she started in November of her freshman year. However, her experience with fencing had a rocky beginning.

Because of her late start, it took some time for her to get to a place of love for the activity. She found a turning point after switching fencing academies, which made the activity more enjoyable.

“I started at one club, and I liked the sport, but the club people were kind of rude and mostly guys. I was the only girl, so it was a bit rough. I switched clubs in October of 2025,” Higa said.

As she is fairly new to the sport, she has had to work hard to achieve success, part of which can be attributed to her joining a new club.

“I’ve had a really great experience; it’s one of the top 20 clubs in the nation for fencing. I really like all the girls there. My coaches are super kind, they’re really, really good,” Higa said.

Although she eventually did find her fencing community, Higa did take a break from the sport to focus on other aspects of her life. She came back to it at the start of her sophomore year.

“I went until about April, then I took a break and didn’t touch any of my gear for six months. Then I picked it back up again and brought it together,” Higa said.

This perseverance paid off, as she ended up finding satisfaction and support within this activity. Because of the enjoyable environment, Higa is able to feel at home within her new fencing club, as she has been well integrated into the community. In turn, this has been beneficial to her motivation and work ethic.

Because she is enamored with the aspect of learning new skills, she is able to grapple with and effectively grasp new concepts.

“The training aspect of it, it’s a lot, and it’s sometimes painful, but I like learning new things when I get a new skill,” Higa said.

To learn about a student who participated in another combat sport, click here to read about how Mustafa Mohajir’s experience with Muay Thai impacted his experiences through high school and beyond.