Delightful, spontaneous, and energetic are a few words to describe 18-year-old Jesenia Zarate. Her day-to-day life consists of attending school from 7a.m to 3 p.m and then having practice from 3 p.m to 5 p.m. She is involved in cross country, soccer, track and field, CSF, FBLA, and UNICEF. In the future she wants to work in the engineering field because she seeks to create something new. 

During the fall of 2019 Jesenia Zarate was the female captain of the cross country team here at SEMHS. She has been part of this sport since 2017 and has enjoyed every single practice because it has taught her determination and hard work. She states, “ In cross country you feel this sense of competitiveness with yourself that you don’t get from any other sport. You have to run as fast as you can, not just to beat others but to beat yourself.”

Jesenia shares that before a race she always feels anxious and scared because she has to prove that the hours spent at practice were all worth it. But all this motivation also comes from Sonia Ayala and Daniel Rojas, her two coaches. They both are great supporters and motivators not just to Jessenia but to the entire team. 

Being an amazing runner is not the only thing Jesenia is known for, her academic success is also inspiring to others. With a cumulative GPA of 4.00 and 4.30 GPA from last semester, Jesenia proves to be a brilliant student. Her favorite class is calculus because it challenges her to complete a problem and forces her to think critically. 

Regarding college Jesenia plans to attend a four year either at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Berkeley, or UC Irvine. The engineering pathway is something she wants to pursue because as a woman she wants to prove that engineering can be a career for both genders. 

When Jesenia is not in school she enjoys hanging out with friends and taking some time to catch up with music or Netflix. She feels that throughout the week she pays attention to the things going on around her that when the weekend comes through she feels the need to catch up on herself. 

Khalid and Harry Styles are two of her favorite artists in the music industry. She doesn’t have a specific music taste rather enjoys listening to any type of music according to her mood or feelings. When thinking of the perfect vacation Jesenia thinks about visiting Costa Rica with her best friend Mayte because it is a country with beautiful beaches and rainforests. 

As senior year approaches its end Jesenia would like to thank her parents and Mayte Varela for all their help and encouragement throughout her high school journey. It has made her a better student, athlete, and friend. Jesenia says “Life doesn’t come with guarantees you just have to take a chance and go for it.”