Looking back at the memories I made while being at WSU is always an interesting thought to think about. There were points in my life during high school when I did not know what my future would be. I always knew that I would go to college and play a sport, but no idea where.

The recruiting process for me was a challenging one because of the many schools that reached out to me and it was definitely a moment that I remember the most because of the opportunities that came with each school and in the end, Washington State seemed the best choice for me. What really caught my eye was being around nature and the fact that WSU was not a big school so it was easy for me to go wherever I needed to go.

However, entering the school was a rough transition because moving from California to Washington, I noticed how different people are. More people in Washington are into grunge music and the Mariners were unfamiliar with me being from California. Despite that, I slowly made friends and it started with two people.

My favorite memory from WSU has to be my sophomore year during COVID when I was with my teammates Beau Sheeran and Mitch Jacobson throughout the school year. When all seemed bleak in the year 2020, they were there to turn the year upside down in a good way. We bonded together as a little family through everyday actions.

Doing the small things with them such as walks, listening to music or just spending time with each other were the essential parts of college for me. I’m the type of person who likes spending quality time with people who matter to me rather than partying. I enjoy partying and being around people occasionally, but not often. Not only my friendship with Beau and Mitch grew strong off the track, but it transitioned on the track as well.

During practice, we offer each other advice during jumping sessions such as how we can improve our run preparing for takeoff, how to keep posture upright and any other advice that can help us heading into the meets. As the younger one in the bunch, I mainly just listened because I was still relatively new to track and field at the collegiate level, but their advice helped me grow not just as an athlete, but as a person as well.

Mitch is a person who taught me how to enjoy the little things each day while Beau is a person who taught me how to enjoy being myself. These two lessons I learned from them came at an essential time in my life when I didn’t necessarily know who I wanted to be off the track.

Of course, I had to understand what I like to do with my time outside of school and track such as writing about music or sitting at the park bench watching the lake slowly move as the baby ducks play. However, Beau and Mitch were one of the few people who helped guide me in what I wanted to do for my future. They helped me grow as a person and helped me apply the carefree attitude I have in my day-to-day life.