field to field

By Jason Pham

He wakes up at 7:50 a.m. He arrives at school and goes to the College Connection Program. Football practice after school. Leading his team as captain with a lot of heart.

Emanuel Velazquez, a Yerba Buena senior, is the star Quarterback and the Offensive lead Captain.

Velazquez's mindset when it comes to keeping his high GPA is such an amazing feat for him 

Velazquez: “So, when it came to sports, I just had extra motivation to keep my grades up because my parents would get angry if my grades dropped. So that's why I kept my grades. ”

Velazquez, a student who has been in the CCA program since seventh grade, has always maintained a mindset of determination and a focus on his grades. He’s even when he is exhausted after practice, he always goes home and pushes himself to study.

Velazquez: “My every class, as well, of the most about the campus. Getting to leave two times a week to go to the college class and only go there for an hour, and then go home.”

As a student-athlete, Velazquez consistently prioritizes the student over the athlete, maintaining a high standard for studying even after being exhausted from practice. He always tries his hardest to maintain good grades so that he can play.

Velazquez: “I always wanted to go to a really good college, and I've always been advanced in math. I took math one in 8th grade, so it was just normal for me to do sports and also have a high GPA at the same time.”

Velazquez, one of YB's  four football captains alongside Solomon Sidbury, Kevin Tu, and Josue 

Manila. Velazquez, the leader of the offense, is the offensive mind and the person everyone looks to when things go wrong. 

Even with all that hard work, there are always some struggles,

Velazquez: ”Sometimes my teams would be really annoying at practice. Not just to be angry after practice. I'd be so annoyed, and then basically I would get home. I'd just be angry, upset, and I would not want to do my homework. I wouldn't wanna study”

 But Velazquez pushes through. With all that hard work Velazquez has put in, his goal is to get admitted to UC Berkeley or UCLA

Velazquez: “I want to get admitted to UC Berkeley or UCLA. Those are probably my two goals right now.”