BRIANNA SALINAS ’16: REFLECTION FOR PRAYER SERVICE-8/21/15

Good morning,

For those of you who don’t know who I am, my name is Brianna Salinas, and even though I may not look like it, I’m currently a senior here at Holy Cross. I transferred to Holy Cross my sophomore year of high school, and although I already had a couple of friends who attended here, I was still a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. I wouldn’t say I had a difficult time making friends but it took time for me to open up. Before attending Holy Cross, I would always make sure to make it to Holy Bowl almost every year and try to catch as many basketball games as possible, and there wasn’t a single time where I wasn’t amazed at the amount of school spirit there was and how close everyone seemed to be. Shadowing my 8^th grade year, I couldn’t think of a better high school to come to that focused on family and the importance of tradition. The opportunities I imagined I would have and the success I hoped to obtain seemed endless. As I previously mentioned before, this is my third year here and my idea of what Holy Cross would be has more than exceeded my expectations. The bonds I have made with my friends and teachers are unlike any I’ve ever had before.

I’ve always been one to rely on my faith for everything, but before transferring, it was put to the test as I faced a really difficult time in my life. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I was so nervous on my first day of school, due to the fact that I was already struggling and I wasn’t looking forward to anything else in my life to turn for the worst. But boy, was I wrong. As I can remember, the first person I met on campus on my first day was Coach Arguello, and I couldn’t help but feel instantly welcomed. Regardless of the day I was having, he would always seem to be checking up on me, and even though he may not have realized it, it would really encourage me to keep bettering myself and keep pushing forward. And likewise, the group of friends I’ve made never fail to let me know that even when things aren’t going my way, there’s always something better in store for me. To me, that’s what Holy Cross is all about because I don’t have a doubt in my mind that despite the circumstances I’m faced with in the future, I know I won’t have to face them alone. As I mentioned him before, Coach Arguello saw something in me sophomore year that i didn’t see in myself. He believed in me and in my abilities to lead on and off court, and if I’ve gotten anything from him in these past three as his point guard, it would be that 1. He’s always right, even if we both know he’s wrong, 2. Success comes to those who work hard, and 3. There’s always hope to be given to those who want to succeed. And even though we may not always agree with each other, I appreciate him for always holding me to a higher standard than most. And that’s what family does; Family supports you, encourages you, and always pushes you to be the best you can possibly be. And how lucky am I, how lucky are we, to be able to attend a school that does just that.

Thank you,

Brianna Salinas, Class of 2016

Brianna’s Reflection