more than one hobby

By Damaris Arce

Sometimes trying something new can help you discover more about yourself. For Yerba Buena High School student Betsy Arce, moving to a new city became an opportunity to make friends, face challenges, and discover her true passion.

At 14 years old, Arce moved from Detroit, Michigan, to San Jose, California, to live closer to family. Starting at Yerba Buena High School wasn't easy, especially since she arrived late during her freshman year and struggled to make friends.

Arce: “I didn't make many friends because I was pretty shy.”

As sophomore year began, Arce wanted to try something different. After meeting the school's softball coach, she decided to start conditioning and eventually joined the girls' softball team.

Joining softball helped arce make new friends and feel more comfortable at school. Although the season came with challenges and stressful moments, she enjoyed the support she received from her teammates.

Arce: “Softball kept me motivated, and it helped me make wonderful new friends like Alyson and Sage. Because of softball, I was always up and doing something; it kept me productive .”

During Stressful moments, Arce would turn to something she had loved since childhood: art. Drawing helped her express herself and feel calm whenever she felt overwhelmed

Arce: “After a stressful practice or game after softball, I like to turn to art to ground myself. My art is my identity, and I find myself expressing my emotions through art. Especially when I'm stressed out. I vividly remember my first game because I did HORRIBLE. As soon as I got home, I took some time alone to make art. Whenever I make my art, I think a lot about my life, and this time I was thinking about how disappointed I was. But I realized that the only thing I can do is grow, and one game will not define me for the rest of my life.

Although arce enjoyed her experience playing softball, the season came to an end. She eventually had to wait for her next season, so in the meantime she continued focusing on art while still exploring new hobbies and interests.

Arce: Right after my season ended, I couldn't help but miss softball. In the meantime, I knew I still had art, and as I waited for the next season, I could keep myself productive by focusing on my art. I explored new mediums, and I fell in love with using oil pastels, and I made my first large-scale oil pastel art piece. I'm extremely proud of it, and I feel it's just as big an accomplishment as when I made my first double play in softball.

Today, Arce continues to try new art mediums, studies hard to prepare herself for college, and continues to try out new hobbies