Heidi Diaz Introduction by Milagros Villalobos

If you can imagine forty Glendale High students in the back parking lot at 4:30 in the morning anxiously awaiting a bus on a Saturday morning to go run a grueling 3 mile race, I am sure smiling faces would not be part of your picture. Giving up a Saturday to run more than what most people run in a month, under a hot blazing sun is not exactly an ideal setting for “fun.” Despite this, you can always find a bright smile amidst the faces of frustration and anxious anticipation. Her smile is always the one to stand out, the one to be noticed by the rest.

For the three years that I have known Heidi, her personality has always shined through- whether it is laughing at the starting line before she runs to her first-place finish, or rocking to some imaginary song before an English test, you always know when Heidi is in the room. There are just those people who make a presence when they enter a room, who somehow alter the atmosphere with only their bright smile.

Participating in several Drama productions, Art Club and the Junior State of America, Heidi has balanced her life between sports, family, school and friends, showing each the same amount of dedication and commitment.

While maintaining a 4.1 GPA and holding several school records for Cross Country and Track, Heidi has proved to be a remarkable individual, one who has taught me to appreciate and value each second of life.

Simply put, she’s a genuine ray of sunshine- Heidi, thank you for all that you have done, all that you have become and all that you will be.

Will Heidi and her family please join me on stage?