Carissa Clay knew she was destined to be a Bruin at just eight years old.

Eight-year-old Clay arrived in Westwood with tears streaming down her face. Dropped off at gymnastics camp and surrounded by strangers in an unfamiliar place, Clay was overwhelmed with fear.

The Westwood sun dried her tears by the end of the camp. The UCLA gymnastics team’s warmth and coaching staff replaced her nerves with awe – a feeling she said never fully left.

Clay returned to her San Diego home after camp with a newfound dream – one that kept pulling her back to the seats of Pauley Pavilion as she cheered on her role models.

“It (UCLA) felt like home,” Clay said. “It was a place where I felt comfortable, and when I was eight, I was like, ‘This is exactly where I want to be.’”

But Clay’s path to Westwood was anything but linear.

Despite growing up within a three-mile radius of her home, gym and school, Clay made a 2,000-mile leap to the University of Kentucky in 2020, determined to push herself out of her comfort zone.

She arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, following an eight-month span without gymnastics training because of facility closures. Reduced training time and roster depth limited Clay’s competition time to three beam routines, all during her sophomore season in 2022.

Clay transitioned her focus from gymnastics to graduate school in 2024 after graduating from Kentucky with a degree in kinesiology.

A near-forgotten dream resurfaced as Clay searched for her next step. Hoping their daughter would return to California, her parents suggested she apply to UCLA’s Transformative Coaching and Leadership graduate program at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.

Clay took another leap of faith.

The San Diego local received a notification from UCLA.

Upon reading “Congratulations,” the family burst into tears.

“It was almost a full circle moment for us – for her, specifically,” said Don Clay, Carissa Clay’s father. “It was always her dream school.”

The acceptance did not just signify a return to Westwood – it reopened a door to gymnastics that Carissa Clay thought had already closed.

Coincidentally, 2024 was a challenging year for the UCLA beam squad. Beam represented the Bruin’s lowest event ranking, leaving an opening for Carissa Clay.

The graduate student walked on to the UCLA gymnastics team in September of 2024 and competed in three exhibition routines in 2025 – two on beam and one on floor.

“I could be myself (at) Kentucky, but being here (UCLA), I was really allowed to be myself even more and show my personality,” Carissa Clay said. “It’s not all about competing every single weekend or being the star of the show. It’s about enjoying the sport.”

Carissa Clay ended the 2025 campaign believing it would be her last. Her fifth year coincided with the completion of her master’s program, and Carissa Clay participated in the traditions of Senior Night expecting collegiate closure.

The gymnast began to look for jobs after graduation. Carissa Clay found herself back in the gymnastics gym while interviewing for a club coaching position. But in her search for a new job, she realized an old one may still be open. Following the interview, Carissa Clay asked coach Janelle McDonald if she had a sixth year of eligibility.

“I also told myself before coming to UCLA that I would take every opportunity that I got here,” Carissa Clay said. “I can’t go back on my promise to myself, so I have to come back.”

Carissa Clay’s role in 2026 extends beyond scores or lineup placements. With more than 60% of the roster made up of underclassmen, the graduate student has taken on a mentorship role, offering a veteran perspective shaped by six years of collegiate gymnastics experience.

One of her most impactful lessons is one Carissa Clay learned late in her career: Gymnastics does not define everything.

She said that learning to laugh instead of dwelling on failures lifted a weight off of her shoulders and helped improve her mindset and athletic performance.

“When she (Carissa Clay) smiles, it lights up the room,” McDonald said. “She’s a great example, a great teammate, a great friend and really positive shining light in the gym.”

Beyond the competition floor, Carissa Clay shares her personality on social media. Whether it is behind-the-scenes footage at a gymnastics meet, trail runs with her dad or a fall off the beam in practice, almost 19,000 TikTok followers have accompanied Carissa Clay on her journey.

She added that social media was a culmination of her aim to balance hard work and fun, both in and out of the gym.

“Being a gymnast is just a small part of my story, and I get the privilege of sharing that story with other people, but it’s definitely not my whole life,” the San Diego local said.

Carissa Clay is much more than a gymnast.

But gymnastics – and her 15-year-old dream – is a defining part of her story.

“Eight year-old me would be fangirling over myself right now,” Carissa Clay said. “Every time before I compete I tear up a little bit, partially because I’m nervous, but also because I cannot believe this is real life.”