I have been a member at the Weingart YMCA Wellness & Aquatic Center since I can remember. I have lived in the community since I was born and this YMCA has been a monumental part of me growing into the person I am today.  

I started at the daycare while my mama, abuela, and tia would do Zumba. Then growing into the futsal team in the third floor basketball court. To this day I still remember my Coach Mark who was such a genuine and compassionate person that taught me valuable team skills that I use to this day.  

After my father’s passing I still would go to the YMCA since it was the most adorable gym but also the amount of events and giving this community gave was very much needed in the times of hardship that I faced with my family.  

This YMCA felt like a light in such a darkness in my childhood. COVID hit and after that period I was entering high school as a scrawny kid that dreamed of lifting weights and growing muscle. The YMCA once again saved me through the free summer teen membership which not only helped me but all my friends who were looking to get fit over the summer. Eventually I fell in love with working out here that I got a membership to stay past just the short summer which then again was extremely adorable for my family.  

Once I turned 16, I felt like the first thing I needed was a job to support my family, while also being flexible enough to maintain the straight A’s I had in school. I was guided by the teen center Director Lynette at the time, and she said that I should try being a lifeguard. As someone who loves swimming and also experienced a traumatizing water background, I believed working at a pool would be perfect to help keep others safe and to hopefully not have them experienced what I did. I was trained by Chavez, the aquatics director at the time, and after a couple of months of training I felt ready to complete the lifeguard test.  

I completed the test and training and was an official lifeguard for the YMCA at 16 years old. This to this day is a major life accomplishment of my life and 2 years passed and I am a senior in high school who recently got admitted to Yale University, the first ever in my school to do so.  

And if you were to ask me if I couldn’t have done it without the YMCA I would 100% say no I truly couldn’t, the support through the staff, directors: Aaron, Lamondo, and Jesse truly built me up to who I am and to whoever reads this now, please sign up at your local YMCA, you truly don’t know the good it can cause you until you do! Go YMCA!