Meryland Gonzalez:Has Nine National Boxing Titles Before Trading the Ring for UC Berkeley
Nominated by Community
The Watts native has spent years proving what's possible inside the ring. At UC Berkeley, she's pursuing education, preparing for the next stage of her boxing career, and finding ways to get back to the community that raised her.
Long before Meryland Gonzalez became a nine-time national boxing champion, she was a young girl from Watts who found something in the ring that felt uniquely hers.
Gonzalez began boxing at six years old, encouraged by her father, and quickly developed a passion for the sport. When she was 13 she won her first Junior Olympic gold medal. Her success continued through her youth career, eventually making her nine-time national champion.
Gonzalez's story has never been limited to what happens between the ropes.
Growing up in Watts, she understood early on how much access to opportunity can shape a young person's future. Her family founded 5LA New Beginnings, a nonprofit focused on providing enrichment, education, and resources to families in their community. The organization offers programs including boxing and fitness, ASL classes, literacy and speaking workshops, and serves more than 300 families near her hometown, according to Gonzalez.
She also created Team Meryland, a boxing club in her hometown, turning the sport that helped shape her life into an opportunity for others.
Now, Gonzalez is taking that determination into a different arena: college.
At UC Berkeley, she's balancing academics, work, and an elite boxing career. Her days can begin at 5:30 AM with a run and include working with the Cal Football program, classes, homework, and time in the gym. She's also pursuing a business degree with hopes of using that education to expand the community work she's already started.
Boxing remains central to what's next. Gonzalez is preparing for Team USA trials and international competition, with the 2028 Olympics serving as a major goal.
“It’s like winning it for everyone who’s supporting me and is supporting me in my journey.”
PLAYER CARD
- Hometown: Watts, Los Angeles, CA
- Sport: Boxing
- College: University of California, Berkeley
- Career Achievement: 9x national champion
- Major Milestone: Junior Olympic gold medalist
- Next Chapter: Team USA trials in pursuit of the 2028 Olympics
BIGGER PICTURE
Meryland Gonzalez's story is bigger than nine national titles.
She represents what can happen when an athlete is given the opportunity to turn talent into a future. Her journey from Watts to UC Berkeley, from a neighborhood boxing club to national championships, shows how sports can become a pathway to education, confidence, and community.
And she's already working to make that pathway visible for someone else. For Gonzalez the next goal may be the Olympics, but the impact she's building doesn't depend on whether she ever steps onto that podium. She's already using boxing to create opportunities for the next generation, while pursuing an education that could help her take that work even further.
