Pacific Index

Coach Kaylee’s switch from student-athlete to

The following interview was conducted by Ann-Mae Deguzman  for an assignment in MEDA240

Kaylee Manuel is currently an Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Pacific University.

This interview was conducted on Saturday, September 6, at approximately 4 pm. Kaylee has

experience as both a student-athlete and a coach at Pacific, offering valuable insight for the

interview. She briefly touched on her background and life growing up, but the main focus was on

her current position and future plans. Kaylee emphasized the importance of how her personal

values play a significant role in the impact she has on others’ lives.

Ann-Mae DeGuzman: Good afternoon! I know we met only this past year with a

player-coach relationship, but I know you went to Pacific before coaching. If we were to

meet as two strangers on the street, who would you say you are?

Kaylee Manuel: My name is Kaylee Manuel. I was born and raised on the west side of Oahu,

Hawaii. Some perks of being an only child include having many cousins in place of siblings. I

went to a Hawaiian private high school, and after that, went to Pacific to play five years of

college basketball. I wasn’t ready to walk away from the Grove just yet and was offered a

position as an Assistant Coach for the Women’s Basketball team. Outside of my job, I am an

educator. I think that’s one of my main purposes in life: to help others improve and see their

growth. 

AD: Talk to me more about being an educator. What does that look like to you?

KM: I like to demonstrate how to be a good person to others and do the right thing when no one

is looking. I believe academics and skills are important, yes, but if you’re not a kind person,

people will not want to work with you, and that closes a lot of doors for the future.

AD: Very true. You mention opening doors for the future. What do you want to be when you “grow up,” or are you currently living the dream?

KM: Growing up, I wanted to be an animator and draw or make cartoons for Disney, but I can

honestly say that I gave up too easily. My current dream is to be a role model for people, whether

that involves coaching or teaching. As one of the Assistant Coaches, part of my job includes

making the graphics for our Instagram account, which offers me the opportunity to still tap into

that creative side I miss.

AD: Why basketball? What has kept you around the sport? Did you ever play other sports?

KM: I used to play with my cousins for fun all the time, watch whatever was on TV, and fell in

love with it by the time I got to high school. For that reason, I never did other sports. However,

playing high school basketball was an impactful experience that helped get me where I am today.

I just wanted to help the team in any way possible to win championships.

AD: From what I’ve heard, your class was one of a kind here at Pacific, leading to the conference championship more than once. What motivates you, in or out of basketball?

KM: My faith really pushes me to do the right thing as often as possible. I was raised a Christian

church kid, my grandpa is a pastor, and I was also a choir kid. I got baptized at the beach when I

was 11, and I would totally get baptized again. As an adult now, I think it means more to my faith journey.

AD: I understand where you’re coming from. Shifting gears, what’s one achievement you’re especially proud of? Why?

KM: I’m really proud of myself for making it through college because it’s a long journey in a

short amount of time. However, college taught me a lot. I had a lot of self-doubt, so I learned

how to be more confident in myself and surround myself with people who had faith in me,

supported me, and loved me.

AD: After getting through college, if you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be? Or do you have a favorite quote or saying you’ve always lived by? 

KM: If I could give advice to my younger self, I would tell myself that everything will be okay

and to stay faithful. It’s so important to never give up and keep pushing through the hard times.

Nothing worth having comes easy. I always live by the saying that everything happens for a reason, good or bad. You can always learn from it and take it as a blessing in disguise.