Guzman dances her way to the top

Guzman+dances+her+way+to+the+top
Fatima Guzman and last year’s Miss CI Claudia Adame.

Seniors, your time here at the Islands is moving quickly and if you blink you might miss it! Although senior year is moving fast, 17-year-old Fatima Guzman is doing a great job at keeping up with it.

Guzman is involved in many activities like our ASB and an All-Female dance team. And while she may look shy, she isn’t. Guzman is quite the opposite. She is well known as someone who is social, friendly, and open to others. Guzman is the captain of the All-Female dance team and has been involved since her freshman year in high school.

Guzman was not interested in dancing before high school, but now it is her passion and she loves it.

During the tryout period of the team, it was Guzman’s eighth grade year when a friend convinced her to join her. She says her friend would’ve gotten a “get out of attention pass.” Guzman gladly accepted and showed up the last two days of tryouts.  Now she is known by her team as “a great captain.”

Her friends believes Guzman’s personality is spread to everyone on the team. Everyone has a piece of Guzman’s personality in her. She loves to put her team before herself and understands what her priorities are.

In her free time, Guzman is practicing routines or “CHOREO,” whether it be by herself or with her team.

“I don’t really have free time,” says Guzman. How dedicated she is definitely shows through in her dancing.

Guzman has an idea of what she plans to do after high school. She plans to go to a CSU first and then hopefully transfer to a UC.  Guzman plans on pursuing dance after high school, but says she “needs to find a way to manage her time.”

On Nov. 17, Channel Islands held its fourth annual Miss CI Contest and Guzman was crowned Miss CI.  Guzman said that she did the contest for fun and did not plan to take home first place. Former Miss CI, Claudia Adame, passed down the crown to the new Miss CI.

“It felt really good,” says Guzman, “to have had Claudia pass down the crown.”

Guzman was filled with excitement and pleasure. It is similar to when Adame passed down the All Female bear “Maui” to Guzman. When asked how she felt before the contest, Guzman said she “was nervous and stressed.” She didn’t feel as though she was going to win, but “winning was not the point,” said Guzman.

Her senior year is definitely one that she can say was fun, tiring, and memorable.