Lezly+P’s+2016+OpEd+Article



I am not just school! I do things with my life. I hang out with friends. I have multiple sports I’m involved in year round. Foothill puts an unbelievable pressure on getting “perfect” grades. Yes this is important but seriously? Half these people I swear don’t even have lives outside of school! Yeah ok we get it you are smarter than everyone else but get some friends, go outside, travel, DO SOMETHING! I’m not the smartest kid in any of my classes let alone even close to getting that title but I’m proud to say I work my hardest and do the best I can to get the grades I have while juggling everything else in my life.


 * 1) Family
 * 2) School
 * 3) Sports

This is my life right now. First comes my family, I’m there for them above anything, if my little brother needs my support at his basketball game, I’m there for him, my homework can wait. If my mom or dad need me to do something for them my homework can wait, even if that means staying up till 1am or later to do it. Now I put School before Sports but i mean this can depend on what's due or what is going on with sports. Such as finals week. One game everyday! plus back to back tournaments on the weekends surrounding finals week. School came first but I had to play in those games so the struggle of studying and getting at least three hours of sleep had me walking on a tightrope over the grand canyon..

I’ve been called “the dumb blond” throughout my life but you know what I don’t care. I may seem “dumb” to you but I work hard in my classes and I'm pretty freaking good at the sports I do to make up for my lack in intelligence. I know I’m never going to get a scholarship for my academics no matter how hard I try. But could I for sports? I have a pretty good chance. And you may argue that foothill is just a D6 school and I’m not that good but look at my team's stats. look at my stats. We play in tournaments with those D1, D2, D3, etc. schools and we beat them. I’ve had The VC Star tracking me the last two seasons. I’ve been having different clubs ask me to join them for water polo and swim since freshman year. Now I don’t go out bragging all of this or showing it off. I mean I’m pretty reserved when it comes to my achievements because I don’t like to brag. I’ll answer someone's question if they ask how I did, other wise I tell them of my team and how WE do. But I’m sick and tired of students and certain teachers calling me out because I did poorly on a test or didn’t finish the homework when I should have. So what. Sorry I stayed up holding my brother cause he was crying because something happened at school. Sorry for creating a name for our school when it comes to sports.

I’m a hard worker! I do what needs to be done and I give it 110% with everything, but just because I don’t get a 4.5 or higher doesn’t mean I am dumb, It means I have a life and I have more than just school. I have more going on in my life then reading a book over the weekends or studying constantly. I’m going to enjoy my life and make it count, not by abandoning school but by trying my hardest and still having fun with friends and traveling and kicking some butt with my teams. So stop stereotyping those with lesser grades as dumb or stupid, or the athletes as "dumb jocks" we may have a lower grade then your 4.5 (or higher) but at least we have a life.