My transition from Salinas to UCLA and Los Angeles in general has gone pretty smoothly. Before I lived in Salinas, I lived in Congo for 7 years, San Jose for 6 years, then Salinas for almost 5, and now my family just recently moved back to San Jose. So as far as moving to different areas, I've always been able to adapt well. UCLA is significantly different from little Salinas, but the life skills and values I learned in Salinas like determination, perseverance, resilience, ganas, and the importance of family, has rendered me well prepared to handle whatever is thrown at me.
Currently, I am doing well in my classes. I just finished a freshman summer program in which I earned 12 credits and a 3.85 GPA. So compared to other freshman, I am ahead of the game because I am already somewhat familiar with the campus and the workload. Currently I am taking G.E. courses in Art and Architecture, Political Philosophy, and Pre-Calculus. The fall quarter just started so I don't yet have grades, but my goal Is to earn a 3.5 GPA( preferably 3.7 and up, but baby steps ) by the end of the quarter.
As far as basketball, I currently play pickup games in the Wooden Center, our campus recreational facility. They are very fun and also very competitive, with players ranging alumni to current students, to other college students, to high school athletes, to even Adam Sandler ( though I have yet to run into him.) Schedule permitting, I plan to join an intramural basketball team here on campus and to start working out regularly. With the stresses a college student faces, it's nice to have something to fall back on and help me relieve that stress. With that being said though, I have friends that are on UCLA's official roster, and seeing them makes me miss basketball!
GBA has impacted my life in a very positive way. It allowed me to combine my love of basketball with my passion with interacting with others. Through it I was able to play the game I love, as well as teach is to our youth, our future. I was also able to spread the word about the academy and interact with people that care about positively affecting the community. GBA has also shown its commitment to higher education by offering a scholarship, which I am deeply humbled and thankful for. And last but not least, GBA is the reason I was able to participate in a once –a-lifetime- experience of representing the United States and playing basketball in New Zealand. Kiora!