Nicolas Malbrough

Working hard on and off the baseball field, Nicolas Malbrough signed with San Jose State University for a four-year scholarship after playing many years on a travel ball team. Malbrough has shown his dedication to baseball after playing the sport since he was eight-years-old. He is motivated by his beloved family who pushes him to do his best. Malbrough’s most unforgettable moment with baseball was when he hit his first home run at the age of ten. His journey with baseball has taught him to always work hard every single day towards his goals. Some advice from Malbrough to West High students for achieving goals is, “to always get good grades, to work toward a good college and to invest in a better future for yourself, as well [sic] to keep your career options open.”

Payton West

Payton West has had perseverance and her family’s loving support to get her to signed with Southern Oregon University for a four-year scholarship to play on the school’s softball team. West has been playing softball since she was four and has played on a few travel ball teams. Her teammates, friends and family have always inspired her to do her best in softball. Her determination for a successful career after college has also pushed her. West will never forget her most memorable moment in softball when she hit a home run and got her future college coach interested in her. West has learned that even if she is injured she can still enjoy the sport with her teammates, coaches, family and her friends. West also hopes to continue enjoying many memories in softball and add on to them as she proceeds to college. Her advice to West High students to achieve goals is to “work hard, keep your grades in order and to contact coaches for scholarships aide and information.” She also encourages West High students to “get involved and make friends while enjoying your high school years.”

Serena Riley

Diligent and hardworking Serena Riley’s devotion to the game of softball has gotten her signed with Chowan University’s softball team. Riley has been dedicated to playing the sport since she was about six. Motivation that continues to push her every day on the softball field are her “dreams of always wanting to play the sport.” She is driven with passion for softball to work harder each day and to finds it as a stress reliever. Her most memorable moment in softball is when she signed with Chowan University for her scholarship. Over the years she has played, Riley has learned it is not just about the game itself, but more about herself and who she is as a person. She has learned how to get through difficult struggles and situations throughout her games with a positive and determined attitude to get the job done. Riley’s advice to West High students for accomplishing goals is to “Never give up no matter the situation, to always stay positive and remember everything will work out at the end of the day.”

Kathlin Martinez

Always putting her best efforts to accomplish a win each game, Kathlin Martinez signed with Notre Dame de Namur University for a four-year scholarship to play with their volleyball team. Martinez has been dedicated to volleyball for around seven years. She succeeded with her goals when Martinez was at a volleyball tournament where she impressed Dame’s volleyball coach with her skills getting herself signed with the school. Martinez’s motivation comes from her teammates and her love of winning. In her volleyball career so far, Martinez remembers her most memorable moment when she found out her team was still in the playoffs even after a loss. Martinez’s journey with volleyball has taught her that “encouraging people is always important.” Her advice to West High students to achieve their goals is to, “follow your dreams, do what makes you happy and work hard to always win.”