BY ALINA OLEA

Ever since Juan Velazquez was in the second grade, his determination has been reflected on the football field. Since then, he has grown to play for many teams and is currently the quarterback on West Covina’s team. As a senior, Juan decided to step out of his comfort zone and run for homecoming court with his girlfriend, Rylee Mirano. Now he’s expressing that determination through his homecoming campaign. He explained that it’s a very complex process that can sometimes be stressful. Juan has always been a quiet person who only socialize with people who hung out among his friend group. Due to this, he states he is having more trouble than he anticipated getting his name recognized amongst the student body.

Despite the unexpected struggles, Juan states he is having a great time experiencing this with his girlfriend,expressing his creativity by planning their upcoming skits and taking the opportunity to surround himself with new peers. Overall, Juan describes the experience as a great way to create lasting memories, “being able to share this experience with my girlfriend is not only creating an even stronger bond between us but has led me to meet so many new people and it’s a cool way to kick off senior year”. Although he’s unsure of the outcome, whether he is crowned king or not, he has gained an appreciation for all the people before him who have undergone the process of running for homecoming court, as well as his peers who he is running against. So as homecoming draws near, Juan and Rylee will continue to campaign in order to get out.