Friends Live Out Dreams On And Off The Court
SOUTH MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Tiffany Suarez and Kiara Palmer are living out their dreams both on and off the court.
Before their family, friends, coaches, teachers and teammates the two seniors and all-star basketball athletes from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in South Miami made it official by signing to the university of their choice.
Tiffany, one of the top guards in the 2013 class, will be taking her talents to the University of Virginia, while her good friend Kiara will be heading off to Rhode Island to play for the Rhodies.
Both girls will attend college on a full scholarship.
"I really love basketball. It is a big dream – making it to the highest level – and right now I think I am living that," said Tiffany Suarez.
Kiara and Tiffany have grown up playing basketball together – it's in their blood.
The two friends began playing at Tamiami Park at the age of four. They played on traveling teams and throughout high school with the Bobcats at Lourdes Academy.
For years, both families spend countless hours on the court training their daughters in hopes of helping them achieve their dream and years later it paid off. "I am very excited for my daughter because she we worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make her dreams come true," said an emotional Oscar Suarez, Tiffany's father.
Kiara's parents – who both played basketball in college – are also extremely proud of their daughter who say for them basketball was a tool they used to go to college and to travel and wanted the same for their daughter.
In June, Tiffany will head off to Charlottesville, Va. to practice for a week, then she and her team will go to Africa to play basketball and hold a basketball camp for kids. Kiara will be heading off to Rhode Island she says she plans to study something in the medical field.
