In October that will be the number of women in El Capitan's High School's Hall of Fame after I am inducted! Yes, you read it right, I am SO honored and blessed to join such an elite group of women and men from my high school in San Diego.
When I received the news from Sandy Martinez who is a former teacher, and someone considered a mentor to me who paved the path for many women at El Capitan, I fell to my knees in gratitude.
There have been tens of thousands of wonderful, deserving young students who have walked the halls of El Capitan. Fellow students who poured their hearts out in their sports, as a part of the student body and in the classrooms. As someone who is a loyalist, yes I still bleed the black and gold of my high school alma matter! Go Vaqueros!
I am excited to make the trip this October back to the halls of good ole EC. Even more exciting is to see Sandy Martinez. Why is she so special? From the moment I met her she was someone who I connected with. She was always encouraging. Always. If there is a teacher people should learn to be a role model from, it is her. Motivating me to not be afraid to take chances, encouraging me to run for the role of club president's, associated student body and inspiring me to run my heart out as she did when she was at El Capitan. One day nearing my last days of High School, she gave me something. As I opened the box and looked inside it was a single track spike on a chain. Grasping it in to my palm, she told me it's story.
When Sandy was in High School at El Capitan, she became one of the first women to compete in sports. How scary that must have been! I am sure there were differences in opinions of what a girl should or shouldn't do, but if we stopped when we faced adversity, where would we be?
This spike was from her track shoes when she broke a school record. She made one of them in to a necklace. I am not sure Sandy knows how much of an impact that small token meant to me. I am a person who LOVES when people make a thoughtful gift. My affection cannot be purchased and to me, this is one of the most priceless items I will ever own while on earth.
What Sandy probably does not know is I wore this when racing in college and to this day keep it in my jewelry box to look at often as a reminder to never doubt and how much someone believed in me.
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| Senior year track banquet surrounded by the coaching squad. Sandy Martinez to the right of me with dark hair. |
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| Our high school hurdle squad |
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| All of the track shoes from my career at El Capitan posing for senior year |
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| Oh, the memories. Graduation day in 1999!!! |
Follow every single dream you have. Every single one...and of course, Never Give Up.
With deep gratitude to my alma matter, El Capitan,
Your Mrs. Great Plains International 2014
Maggi
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