How have your community service and extracurricular activities made a meaningful contribution to your education?
Starting from elementary school up to now, I have always been involved with numerous activities and at the same time have managed to be an above average student. From when I was little, I was encouraged to be involved and to have the best attitude I can towards what I do. Growing up my parents would tell me “what you start, you cannot quit” and this has always stuck with me. Part of what that means to me is that when you begin something new you have to stick with it because sometimes there can be an unexpected or positive turn out. This seems to be very fitting because from all the activities, I have been a part of and all the community service I have done, I have been able to take skills and lessons from each and apply them to my education. My biggest passion and hobby is playing sports, and since I was young, I have always been around that environment. Being that my father is a football coach, and has been since I was born, I would always be around the athlete lifestyle of having no free time, having to go to school all day then having practice till seven at night and having to work extra hard to do good in school. Once I was able to become an athlete myself, I realized the struggle of balancing everything going on and I realized how much harder it was to be an athlete as well as a full time student. Being a part of sports really made me learn to work hard on the field and in the classroom as well. I had to put the same effort in to the sprints I ran as I did in the schoolwork I did in order to keep playing sports. By doing that, it really did have a positive impact on the kind of student I am because it forced me to do well in school in order to do what I love. Being so involved I have also seen that not only is the learning part of education important but so are the relationships I have made with all the people I have met. From all the coaches and leaders I have had through all the different extracurricular activities I took part in, I always have respected what they’ve taught me. The willingness and respect I show to my superiors will get me further as an athlete or a participant in a club and I know I have to be this way in the classroom as well in order to be successful. Some of the same things I learn on the field or with a club, I am able to apply that to my education and those skills and motivations have no doubt helped me be a good student. If I hadn’t been as involved as I am, I don’t think I would be where I’m at and I would have had nothing to help me have as good of an education as I do now.
When you become a member of the AlumKnights after graduation, what is one service activity you would like to undertake to support the Del Norte High School community? Please address in your response how DNHS alumni can best support current DNHS students.
I come from a family of Del Norte graduates so without a doubt, Del Norte is a big part of my life. My parents both graduated with the class of 1985, and my sister graduated with the class of 2012. As an alumni, my dad became a staff member and coached football and baseball for Del Norte. My mom has always showed her Knights Spirit and support by attending games, getting involved in boosters clubs of the sports my sister and I played, and volunteering for activities such as Rad Grad and Knights of Pizza, . In Short, my parents bleed turquoise, black, and white! With my parents and my sister being so involved, even as alumni, it has definitely inspired me to do the same once I become one. I plan to be an active supporter of Del Norte activities and sporting events. My attendance at these event will contribute financially and also to the enthusiastic spirit of the sporting event. This is an easy way for any alumni to support the school, and I know as a student now, it is nice to see old Del Norte graduates supporting all the different activities. Even the little contribution of buying a ticket helps pay for new uniforms, awards and other equipment needed. Furthermore, it is my intention to give back to the DNHS Women’s Soccer team in some way. I played all four years for the women’s soccer program at DNHS and was a three year letterman. As a former player, it would be exciting to become involved and possibly assist as a coach during the season or even the summer training sessions. I cannot wait to continue my journey as a knight because I know it will not stop there. After all, ONCE A KNIGHT, ALWAYS A KNIGHT!