Gabriella Rodriguez, better known as Gaby, has been in my life for 3 years now. She is an all-around amazing person who really loves people and will always see the best in everyone. Gaby is on the Sahuaro volleyball team and plays right-side or setter. This year she is the starting setter and I believe it is going very well. The team is currently 6-4, but they do have another game tonight. She is also involved in the Unified In Color club here on campus and is currently running Hispanic Heritage Month for the school.

She has been playing volleyball since before I met her, and when I asked her why she started she said that both of her parents used to play, so it has always been in her mind. But she didn’t actually start playing until 7th grade. Even though it was fun back then, it didn’t become something she loved until high school.

On top of all of that during the week, she also works on the weekends. Gaby works at Smoothie King and has been there for almost 2 years, saying, “It has its ups and its downs, but it does what it needs to.” At Smoothie King you have to be at least 18 to become a shift lead/assistant manager, but because she is such a great employee her manager offered her the position a couple of months early. She accepted the offer of course because she is ready for the promotion, and also because it comes with a raise. (LOL)

Being involved in all these things, she doesn’t use her free time to think too much about what after high school looks like for her because she loves to live in the moment. I still asked her if she plans on going to college and if so, where? She told me that she isn’t too set on going to college. In other words, it isn’t the end of the world for her if she doesn’t go, but UCLA has always been her dream when thinking about college. But being a little more realistic with finances, she would be just as happy with starting at a JUCO (junior college) out in California and then possibly ending up at a University.

Gaby is amazing at giving advice to anyone that asks because she cares so much. But I wanted to know if she could give any advice to her 10-year-old self, what would it be? She replied, “Honestly, learn to care less and realize that not everybody has the same intentions for you as you do for them. Just focus on school because school should always come first, also stay in Cheer because it is less of a mental stress.” I personally think we should all listen to the first part because, at the end of the day, you never know who is actually on your side, so you should learn young to only depend on yourself.