Brenda Velazquez (‘25), the captain of the high school Varsity Girls Basketball team, and a senior at Preuss that has been here since 6th grade. Over her four years of high school, she was also in the Spanish Honor Society. Brenda was originally born here in San Diego, but her parents are from Tijuana and Sinaloa.
What college did you commit to? Why?
“I committed to USD. I committed there because it’s a Catholic school and I’m very religious. I also wanted to be close to home just to be close to my family just in case they need help or my parents get sick. I always wanted to go to USD and also because I want to attend their law school. I love their campus. A fact is that they have a church only alumni and students can get married in. I want to get married there.”
What is your major?
“My major is Law, Justice, and Society with a minor in Law & Ethics.”
What is your dream career? What made you want to pursue this?
“My dream career is to be a lawyer, a Civil Litigation Lawyer. My parents have hired lots of lawyers, and most of them I’ve seen that they’re not ethical. They’re just there for the money. I’ve seen a lot of people get taken advantage of by their employers, and I want to be the voice for them, especially for the hispanic community.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“In 10 years, I see myself as a lawyer, working towards my own practice, fighting a case in the highest court of San Diego.”
How was your experience at Preuss, when did you join the school?
“My experience at Preuss was very academically rigorous. I wish I came to this school later on in high school because I wanted to have the high school experience of going to football games and going to pep rallies. I am glad that my path landed here because it shaped the person I am, I’m going to college. This school focused me on academics and helped me set my priorities straight; it molded me into the person I am today.”
What is the accomplishment you’re most proud of?
“The accomplishment I’m most proud of is getting into USD. I’m proud of being the first in my family to go to college. I’m proud my parents get to experience their hard work paying off.”
Who’s someone at this school that you are grateful for?
“I’m grateful for a lot of people at this school, the staff, the custodians, and the teachers. The most impactful people to me were Dr.Bandy and Dr. Weber. I’m grateful for Dr.Bandy because she does a lot for the seniors, she’s just one person but helps everyone. When someone goes to her for help she’ll always make time for you, no matter how busy she is. She helped me with scholarships and programs to get to college. She saw me for who I was, she knew my potential and what I could do, she helped me pave the way to my full potential. Dr.Weber also helped me a lot. He helped mold me into the person I am today; he helped me mature. He changed my perspective on a lot of things. He helped me apply for scholarships. He gave me really good advice, not just about college but life in general. I feel like him and Dr. Bandy are really humble people. They always have their door open for people that want advice, they’re really helpful. Those two teachers don’t see you as a grade, they see you as the person you are. For them, grades don’t define who you are.”
What sports did you play? Are you going to continue during college?
“I played basketball all four years of high school. I was captain my junior and senior year. I also played volleyball my sophomore year but didn’t really like it. I’m not gonna continue basketball in college because I don’t have time for it. I wanna focus on school and reach my goals.”
Something you will miss from this school.
“I’ll miss all the people I met, the people I got to share my high school experience with. Something I’ll miss in general is being a kid and having no worries.”
Advice you would give to underclassmen?
“Some advice I would give to underclassmen is don’t be so hard on yourself. This is only a small amount of your life, it’s okay to fail. If you fail, just try again. You’re not going to succeed the first time, don’t think of it as mistakes, think of it as a lesson. If you overwork yourself, you’re going to burn out. Another piece of advice is to talk to everyone, since this school is so small, it’s better to be close with everyone, have a fun time.”
