Dianne B

I was only 7 years old when I first moved to a town called Atascadero. This town was small. It didn't have much entertainment. No movie theaters, not many restaurants, no bowling alleys and to top it all off, I had to leave my old friends, go to a new school and start all over. My first day there was terrible. At recess I was by myself for I was new and did not know anyone. Luckily, Santa Rosa elementary had very nice teachers and a wonderful counselor named Ms. Bray. She was Australian and had a beautiful smile. Ms. Bray would come out at recess and play with me. She would teach me how to play basketball everyday. She taught me new tricks and each day I would get better and better. Ms. Bray introduced me to new people and I soon began to make friends. She put me in a rec league in my town and she paid for all the costs. I began to love basketball with all my life. Ms. Bray would take me to the local women's basketball games and she introduced me to the coach, Faith Hill. Faith Hill soon began to teach me how to play the sport a little bit better. I loved the sport so much I began to join in summer basketball camps at Cal Poly college. I got to know the players and they taught me so much. One of the players who I looked up to the most was Sparkle Anderson, the way she dribbled was amazing she taught me how to dribble somewhat like her. Ms. Bray took me to all the Cal Poly basketball games and I enjoyed watching them. I now play basketball for my high school and I love it. I make the right choices because I want to keep improving and doing good so that I can play at Cal Poly for coach Faith Hill. She said she will be waiting for me so what I do now is practice everyday and improve myself to be the best I can be. Ms Bray followed me from being my elementary counselor to being my high school counselor. Ms Bray and coach Hill come to all my games to support me. If it weren't for them, I'd be making the wrong choices. Coach Hill and Ms. Bray come and check my grades and if one grade drops low then they find me a tutor. I love them and thank them for everything that they've done for me.

Submitted by Anonymous

Reaching Out