Buu Erik
Hello my name is Erika and I am a sophomore at The Preuss School UCSD. I have been in squash since I was in 8th grade. I have many goals in life that I hope to accomplish. My dream college is Stanford which I have wanted to attend since 6th grade. At Stanford I hope to follow a career in medicine or psychology. Thanks to Surf City Squash I know that these dreams can come true. In Middle school I did not have very good grades. I had a 2.8 gpa and was just slacking off in many of my classes. SCS helped me see that doing my best in school was my responsibility and that it would help my make something of myself in the future. With the help of SCS and its many tutors I was able to get a 4.2 gpa this year. I know that thanks to them I am now one step closer to my dream of going to college and being the first in my family to graduate. Jennifer
Hello, my name is Karla and I am a Hispanic 15 year-old girl. I’ve been in squash since 8th grade and it has changed me in a positive way. I was someone who gave up easily either in school or just life, but this program has showed me that life is a battle that I have to face with strength and hope. Also, my grades have gotten better throughout the time that I’ve been in Surf City Squash and I thank Renato Paiva, my coach, for giving me hope. Thanks to him I realized that I shouldn’t be scared to try my hardest at something just because I might fail. One of my fears was going into a squash court and not being able to hit the ball or trying my hardest and failing. But now I love to go into a squash court and try to play my best with technique and with my heart. Madeleine
Michelle “You don’t know who you are or what you want.” The one phrase I’ve heard all my life. Before joining Surf City Squash, I wasn’t the kid with the intellectual ability; I wasn’t even the one who tried the hardest in class. I was the opposite. I was stuck between the need to help my parents, because we didn’t have much, and the need to think about my future and have dreams. Then Surf City Squash came into my life. Step by step SCS set the highest expectations for me. My coach thought I could be captain and told me I needed to get a 4.0. All I had left to do was fight and make sure I was giving every piece of me to exceed the expectations. My coach believed in me every step of the way. Before no one had taken the time to tell me, “Reyna you’ll get somewhere real far you have it in you”. But Surf City Squash did.
Squash isn’t a sport to me anymore. It makes me understand more about who I am. It isn’t just about hitting the ball; it’s about how I hit it. It isn’t just about wanting something in life it’s about what Im going to do to accomplish that. Now I am the weird girl at school; the girl with a 4.0, Two Nationals titles, 42 in the U15 U.S. Squash Category 2008 and currently 73 in the U17 U.S. Squash Category 2009. I became a fighter. Surf City Squash has helped me every step of the way, and I can’t thank them enough for that!
My name is Sandy, I am 15 years old and I attend the Preuss School UCSD. I am on Team One in the Surf City Squash program.  Squash has greatly affected my life. I am a better athlete and a better person because of Squash. I enjoy being surrounded by people who want to be the best, just like I do. Squash has made me stronger and I know that I must always try my hardest and never give up. As a young girl, Sharon found herself fascinated with Bill Cosby. Every time The Cosby Show would air, she would turn up the volume in hopes of catching short segments of Healthcliff or “Cliff” Huxtable at work, as an obstetrician. To Sharon, Dr. Huxtable was more than a “funny guy” or a father, but she saw him as someone to look up to. She was determined more than ever to become an obstetrician and after ten years of carrying this dream, she still finds herself today, more ambitious and strongly motivated to succeed.
Sharon avidly takes part in her school’s Associated Student Body as this year’s ASB Executive Treasurer and last year’s Freshmen Class President, NOBCChE (National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers) team, MUN (Model United Nations) club, and enjoys helping begin new clubs at her school, such as, Key Club and ASU (Asian Student Union). In her free time, however, Sharon enjoys spending time with her friends, reading news articles on Google news, and crocheting occasionally.