Magnolia Basoc was 12, the youngest of three sisters, when her parents — Adelfa and Nicomedes Basoc — moved their family of five from Davao City in the southern Philippines to live in a single rented room in her uncle’s house in Honolulu. Living in cramped quarters was challenging, but language was an even bigger challenge. Basoc spoke Cebuano and Tagalog, but although she could read and write English she couldn’t communicate in it. Her first two years in Hawaii — eighth grade at Kawananakoa Middle School and ninth grade at McKinley High School — were difficult.

Things changed for her sophomore year when she saw that the girls soccer team was having tryouts. She made the team and played soccer for the next three years. Playing soccer gave her the self-confidence to try other things. She became an honor roll student, competed in the state judo championships, went to Disneyworld for a HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) competition, and was active in other high school clubs and organizations.

Basoc graduated from McKinley in May. She was awarded the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawai’i Foundation’s 2019-2020 Scholarship two months later. In accepting the check, she said she planned to go to medical school and then return to Hawaii and “give back to the Filipino-American community.”

Basoc, 17, starts that journey Monday when classes begin at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Less than six years ago you were an immigrant who couldn’t speak English; now you’re on your way to becoming a doctor. What stands out for you?

(Coming to Hawaii) kind of humbled me. I was sleeping on the floor except for a comforter. We didn’t have a mattress, and I felt like it was my job to be a good student and be a good daughter. After school I didn’t hang out with other people, I just went home and did my homework. It was easier to do that because I already had a problem making friends and talking to other people. So I’d just do my own thing and get high school done with. That’s what I was thinking.

How did you become conversational in English?

For my first year in an American school all I did was listen and learn from my environment. I would read a lot of books, and watching movies also helped me a lot. But mostly it was me learning by myself because in school you’re already expected to know how to speak English.

What did you get from playing soccer besides exercise?

It really gave me a sense of belonging in school — and, in general, belonging in Hawaii. It made me feel that I had friends and the school wasn’t this boring thing that I had to do every day. It made school something that I could be excited about and look forward to.

What have you been doing this summer?

In 2018 I made a short film, “Rise Up,” that won the Hawaii International Film Festival Daniel K. Inouye Student Film Initiative, so earlier this month I was one of the speakers in a Zoom session for the students who are going to be trying out for this year’s HIFF competition.

Is there something else you like to do that isn’t related to pre-med?

I like to listen to true crime and supernatural podcasts.

What do you want to be doing 10 years from now — Year 2030?

I want be a successful doctor, help out people (in Hawaii), and definitely go back and give back to my people in the Philippines.