As a freshman, people embark on a journey that each person paves, for Rebecca Hernandez, senior; her hopes were to basically be an average high schooler. She wanted to be involved, but would have never pictured herself being as involved as she is today.

Ms. Hernandez has been playing soccer since she was five years old, therefore decided to try out for CI’s soccer team. Her freshman year she made the varsity team and is now one of four captains. She was also on varsity cross country during her freshman year.

From her freshman year to today, Hernandez has been a part of swim, track and field, CSF, MESA, Students Against Animal Cruelty, Key Club, Upward Bound, Link Crew, a Youth Ministry leader, and has volunteered with Rosie’s Rescue.

As a student at Blackstock Junior High, Hernandez became aware that those students who had a 4.0 did not have to wear uniform on Fridays. “I would see Megan Garcia not wearing uniform on Fridays and I wanted the same!” says Hernandez about her first encounter with wanting a 4.0 back in middle school.

As well as she did in middle school, she never expected to be top ten in the class of 2014 for all of her high school career. “I just did my work, that’s all,” Hernandez states was her key to high achievement. Her climbing to the top of the 2014 class was the first motivator in Hernandez life to wanting to attend university.

This fall she applied to UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, CSU Northridge, Chico State, with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as her number one choice on the west coast. Hernandez is also very interested in schools on the east coast, but these applications are still in progress.

Hernandez is very excited to be done with all of her applications and looks forward to taking a course at OC, as well as a job. She realizes that the past weeks have been very busy and stressful and even though she knows it will be worth it. She can’t wait to catch up with friends.

With only six months left of high school, Hernandez says she will miss Mrs. Hall greatly, “She met me my freshman year and has watched me not only grown up, but has been there through some tough times for me.”

She wants to thank everyone that has been with her through thick and thin for the last four years. Hernandez will always hold a special place for the Islands and never wants to forget about what CI has given her.