Brylynn Vallejos’ long history with sports began with playing t-ball at the age of four. She went on to participate in other sports such as volleyball and basketball but eventually fell in love with softball. Watching the Women’s College World Series as a child was a seminal experience for her. “Seeing how the sport was played, it just looked so cool and intense,” says Brylynn. “That’s when I got into it and then eventually started looking into playing for a college. It’s a shame it’s not as widely broadcast as men’s sports, though; I think that’s something that should be changed. It’s important for young girls to see these sports being played on TV; I feel it's very empowering.”
Brylynn had never dreamed of moving away from her close-knit family and hometown of Reno, Nevada. However, when coaches from SF State came to one of her high school varsity softball games and invited her to visit the campus, she was swayed. “Once I saw the SF State campus and met with the other girls on the team, I just knew I wanted to come here. I really loved it. I knew it would be a great place for me to grow,” says Brylynn. “The team is great, I've met so many different people from different cultures, and I've learned so much. We are all very close and so supportive of each other.”
“Scholarships have been a very big help for me, especially coming from out of state. It helps me pay for my tuition and living expenses in San Francisco. It also helps with how we get our equipment and our ability to keep our field nice and playable. It ensures our sport can be played and run smoothly.”
2019 proved to be a big year for Brylynn. She was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Freshman of the Year with a .456 batting average, bringing her to the 23rd-best in the entire nation. She was also named to the All-CCAA First Team, as well as Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Freshman of the Year, SF State’s first freshman to win this award since 2007. This was all in recognition of her exceptional performance on San Francisco State’s softball team during the 2019 season.
In addition to her love of the team and campus, the scholarship opportunities helped attract Brylynn to SF State. “Scholarships have been a very big help for me, especially coming from out of state. It helps me pay for my tuition and living expenses in San Francisco. It also helps our team in general, like getting equipment and having the ability to keep our field nice and playable. It ensures our sport can be run and played smoothly.” Brylynn is currently studying Kinesiology and hopes to someday be a physical therapist or an athletic trainer.
