SAN ANTONIO – Meet Instant Replay’s newest Scholar Athlete of the Week: Emma Flores from Harlan High School.
Emma has been a member of the varsity basketball team since freshman year. As a three-year captain and starting point guard, Emma was named First-Team All-District last season and Academic All-District three years in a row. She’s the National Honor Society Parliamentarian, a member of the Health Occupations Students of American and is an AP Scholar with Distinction. She’s also the recipient of the National Hispanic Recognition Award of Academic Achievement. Emma is currently in a Independent Student Mentorship of Optometry. Emma maintains a 4.2 GPA and is ranked fourth in her class. Emma plans to attend college and major in Biology and become an Optometrist.
WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU TAKE AWAY WITH YOU AS YOU LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL?
“Probably when we go to Corpus Christi for basketball. That’s a lot of fun. We get really close with everyone, we get to stay in a hotel, we get to away from our parents for a little bit and actually spend more time together. It’s usually early in the season so we get to know each other’s personalities more. It’s a lot of fun.”
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS?
“Savor being younger and have fun but know when to be disciplined, know when to get things done. Be productive, still dream but know you still have to work for certain things. Be proactive.”
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER YOU GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL?
“I plan to go to a small liberal arts school and major in Biology. I want to go to small liberal arts school so I can have a well rounded experience, incase I want to pivot careers. After that, I want to be an optometrist. I’ve had really bad vision for a lot of my life. I know optometrists can have a good work/life balance and I’m doing an apprenticeship and they really praise their career and they really love it so I’m looking to having a career like that.”
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR PARENTS OR TEACHERS OR COACHES?
“There are so many teachers that have helped me and my parents are great - I love them all. I love my parents, they taught me to work hard, they always have my back. My family, my grandparents have taught me so much as well. Mr. Saenz and Mrs. James are some great teachers that have really helped me. A lot of my middle school teachers have really helped me and my parents definitely encouraged education from an early age so I was able to stick with that.”
Daniel P. Villanueva has worked with KSAT 12 for over 20 years and is an award-winning producer. To submit story ideas, email dvillanueva@ksat.com