When life threw a curve, she hit it out of park
Brylynn Garcia is a very active individual. She is involved in all walks of life at Ramona High School and in the community of Ramona.
Brylynn is the Commissioner of Faculty Relations for the Associated Student Body of Ramona High School. The job entails: organizing luncheons for the faculty, organizing a babysitting night so that the faculty can shop for the holidays, organizing Faculty Appreciation Week, assigning student-faculty buddies and recognizing faculty members on their birthdays.
When asked what kind of an ASB leader Brylynn is, adviser Mona Snodgrass was stuck for words. She just smiled. Mona is an eloquent speaker and an excellent teacher. She could not find superlatives to describe Brylynn. “She is the greatest.”
Every teacher contacted didn’t say much. They just smiled and said something like, “There are no words to describe her enthusiasm and the attitude that she brings into the classroom.”
Brylynn is a member of Ready To Learn. In that organization she acts as a peer tutor and is involved in weekly insight groups. She also helps students with special needs and severe disabilities at RHS. She volunteers as a camp counselor during the summer.
“Brylynn is probably the most popular peer helper I have ever had,” said Dan Marshall, Ramona High School Teacher of the Year. “When she walks into one of my classes, my room and all of the students’ faces light up.”
Brylynn is also active in the youth ministry at San Vicente Community Church. She attends on Sundays and helps after school when basketball is not in season.
Brylynn has over a 3.7 grade point average in college preparatory. She has been accepted to Biola University and Cal-State-San Marcos. She plans to attend Biola and major in psychology.
“I want to be in a career that helps people: a school counselor, a special education teacher, social work, a teacher. I’ll go to college and then figure it out,” she said.
So when Brylynn injured a knee for the second time in her high school career and learned that she would not be able to play her first love—basketball—in her senior year, everybody would have understood if she just concentrated on her other endeavors. However, the thought never occurred to Brylynn.
“I injured my right knee my sophomore year and then I hurt my left knee just before the season started my senior year,” she said. “For six weeks we treated it like it was a sprain, but when I tested it, it gave out in about a half of a second. That is when I knew that I was out of action for the season.”
Out of action, but still very much a part of the team. Brylynn will have surgery on Feb. 27. If Ramona is still in the playoffs, she will probably miss her first practice of the year.
“When life throws you a curve ball, you catch it and throw it right back. You don’t quit. You don’t quit on your team and coaches,” was Brylynn’s reply when asked if she ever thought of quitting the team or at least stop attending all of the practices.
“Brylynn not only attends every practice,” said Marshall, her coach. “She participates. She helps coach. She encourages. She motivates. She is a very important member of our team. She is a team captain and one of the best I have ever had.”
“I have been playing basketball since fifth grade. I was not about to let another injury take from me the game that I love. I may not be able to play on the court, but I am still a part of the team. I do what I can to help the team.”
Brylynn’s parents, Tony and Sandra, attend every game that they can. “My parents are very supportive and are excellent role models. They know what it is to be a part of a team. You don’t quit on your family or on your team.”
Brylynn is planning on taking a year off and then maybe giving basketball another try in college. “If my knee heals, I will give it another try. If not, I have no regrets.”
In this reporter’s opinion, too many people forget that being a part of a team is the most important aspect of high School athletics. It is not about playing time. It is not about getting recognition. It is not about getting a scholarship. It is about being a teammate.
Brylynn is the epitome of the term teammate. Spell it with capital letters: TEAMMATE. When life threw Brylynn a curve, she hit it out of the park. She continued to be what she is. A TEAMMATE.