Vanesa Urias may seem to be an unlikely choice for MVP on a basketball team, but she was chosen recently at the Police Activities League (PAL) Center for her skills on the court. She said she got into basketball “because it was a childhood game my friends taught me.” She started playing in 5^th grade.

Urias does not play for any real teams outside of the PAL Center but she does like sports. “In my PE class, I participate in soccer and football, but I especially love running,” she said. Time is a factor, though, and the lack of it is what keeps Urias from making a commitment to a team.

“I am more involved outside of school practicing softball and basketball because I really want to get back into something I’m pretty good at,” said Urias. “If someone was getting involved with basketball, I would tell them to practice as much as possible because, as soon as you get into basketball, you can continue on it, even though you don’t have the time.”

In the future, Urias sees herself at UC Davis and, eventually, getting a good paying job in business so she can be able to afford what she needs. While she takes her future seriously, she felt it is important to relax and have fun, too. If she could change one thing at Armijo, she suggested that there be a Friday Fun Day when students could wear their pajamas to school “because it’s the last day during the school week, and it would make you more comfortable,” she said.

Urias has a younger brother, Daniel, who is 11. Her role models are her friends and her mother.