McDonald has been dreaming of the opportunity to play on the college circuit ever since she learned about the possibility at a young age.

“I guess I probably didn’t know until I was about 12, I think up until then my goal was to win a premiership in Horsham,” she said. 

“But once I found out about college and playing tennis in the States, this has always been the goal.”

McDonald made Central Wimmera Tennis Association history this year by playing in the men’s competition for St Michael’s.

McDonald earned the opportunity at the Kentucky-based school through an agency program that helped her understand the system and decide which college to attend.

The talented youngster had no shortage of options, with an abundance of college’s trying to secure her services.

“Being from rural Australia we didn’t know much about the system and how to go about it all so we reached out to them a couple of years ago,” she said.

“I’ve been getting emails from different colleges almost every day recently. 

“I looked at Lindsey Wilson and I liked their tennis program and their school – I was looking to major in sports management and they have a really good program for that.

“It started with a Skype call and now they message me almost every day.”

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The scholarship will provide McDonald with board, food, and all of her tennis needs. 

She will move in January as the central-east United States warms into spring and an intense tennis schedule begins.

“Spring is when the main season starts over there,” she said.

“You train all during the week, three to five hours a day, then play at home on Saturday and an away game on Sunday against other colleges.

"It’s definitely going to be intense.”

Most of McDonald’s teammates are from the United States, but she will be joined in the team by another girl on a scholarship from France. 

Moving from secondary school to a university can be a difficult transition for anyone, let alone in a different country with a sports scholarship.

But McDonald said she had experience balancing tennis, study and life commitments during year 12 this year, and said she felt prepared for the move.

“This was probably the toughest year, especially because I was going away with pro tours and stuff like that,” she said.

“But I managed to juggle it all so I could still go to Melbourne and train on Fridays and still get decent grades. 

“They look at all your schoolwork and stuff so that was important.

“It’s a pretty big move, I’m very excited. I can’t wait really.”