But her journey has not been all home runs, there have been some challenges.  Like most of us,  COVID challenged Jazmine in ways that she could not imagine.  “Taking online classes was tough, but I managed.”  Sports has always been a way for Jazmine to express herself and to escape the challenges that come with being a teenager.  She is a prime example of how a student-athlete should perform both on and off the field.

Her hero is Shay Knighten who some consider to be one of the greatest softball players of all time.  “Big Play Shay is who I model my playing after”.  It is not surprising that Jazmine is our very own version of her hero.  Her team often counts on her to lead them to victory. Jazmine has had so much success in games because she works so hard in practice. She treats everything in practice like it’s the finals of CIF. Her work ethic often rubs off on her teammates making everyone around her better in the process.

Her parents always told her that “softball can be your way into college”.  Jazmine adds “For me it was a way of lifting a burden off my family”.  She has utilized her talent to meet her goal and to inspire other young women to do the same.

On Wednesday, November 3rd Jazmine took the last step toward accomplishing her dream by officially signing her letter of intent to attend UCLA.  In attendance were the people who have been with her since she was a little girl.  Accompanied by her parents, family, friends, and teammates Jazmine cemented her place in the history books by becoming one of the few South El Monte High School student-athletes to compete at the highest collegiate level.

Jazmine doesn’t only hit home runs on the field. She has currently earned straight A’s in all her classes. “She wanted to hang out with her friends. But it’s either that or be tired for an 8 am game the next day. Sometimes we would have to drive for hours early in the morning.”  Her father describes the sacrifices that had to be made to make her dream come true.

It is refreshing and rare to witness such success since we live in an era in which too many teenagers would rather mindlessly scroll through social media or unplug from life through video games.  Jazine is a perfect example of what can be accomplished through determination and sacrifice.  Whether she is working towards an engineering degree or helping the Bruins win championships, Jazmine will forever be an Eagle.