DALTON -- Leyton High School celebrated with Zaili Benish today her commitment to play basketball at Doane University.

She said she started playing when she was young, estimating when she was about second grade.

"I feel like it's always been like a dream of mine to play college basketball. I feel like I kind of waited to start going on visits and stuff. I didn't start visits until like the summer before my senior year. Everybody was always kind of like, you'll have that feeling where you want to go when you step on campus.' and Doane is the last place I visited. When I got there I was like 'this is where I want to be, and so I feel like that part was a pretty easy choice for me," Benish said today.

She said continuing her love of basketball was as important as the college experience.

"Basketball has always been a huge part of my life, so I was really glad to get an opportunity, as good an opportunity as Doane is," Benish said.

She plans to study education at Doane. 

"Their education program is just amazing. When people ask me where I'm going and I tell them Doane they're like 'Oh, what do you want to do?' and I'm like 'education,' and they're like 'oh, that's the place to go then,'" she said.

She said Doane University has a "really good" placement rate. In addition, she was accepted into a leadership program.

She also sees herself coaching in the future in addition to teaching. One of her options she's considering is English Education.