In my family, there are countless stories about how I was such an outgoing little girl who always loved to get involved in everything. Given my grades and my personality, it was only natural that I was involved in every activity the school offered. I was in the school dance troupe, I was the one who decorated the bulletin boards, I was president of the Bolivarian Society, and I was even the sports ambassador for five consecutive years. Although my parents scolded me for wanting to participate in everything—since they not only had to stop what they were doing to accompany me but also had to spend money on those activities, which they sometimes didn’t have—my teachers and I always convinced them to let me participate. Now, I’m grateful that my parents, despite our financial situation, supported me in everything that encouraged my growth.
But there are two activities I kept up after leaving school: soccer and theater. Both were extracurricular activities that brought me recognition, joy, and a lot of experience.
I played soccer in elementary school, but it wasn’t until high school that I was able to compete in district and state tournaments. I certainly wasn’t the best, but I got the job done. In my freshman year, I practiced three times a week, and I still have scars on my knees from all the times I fell or was knocked down. By my sophomore year, my grandmother got sick, and it was hard for my parents to drive me, so I only went to practice when they could take me. With my team, I won several tournaments and also traveled to other cities. My parents pulled me out because they could no longer afford the expenses and also because I didn’t feel comfortable: I was skipping practice because, since my grandmother had died, I didn’t want to do anything.
o0o
With the theater, it was different. We never rehearsed outside of school, and when it was our turn, the theater teacher would take us out of class. I loved being taken out of chemistry, physics, or math class. The theater group was so wonderful that even the teacher was our friend: we were like a family. With that group, I also participated in many competitions and we won awards. Like that time we performed The Maids at a well-known theater in the city called Quijotillo—a play that won us first prize in a theater competition. We didn’t just put on plays for competitions; we also staged performances on important dates like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, and Independence Day, and everyone loved them. Doing theater helped me become more confident, project my voice, and be recognized by my classmates. In fact, after I graduated from high school, my theater teacher invited me many times to help him and give talks.
As I write this and look back, I wonder where that SuperNancy has gone—the one who wanted to do everything at once. All I have left from those years are memories, scraped knees from chasing after a ball, and the echo of applause as the curtain fell.
