Mia Morales is a senior at John F Kennedy Memorial High School. Mia participated in Varsity Softball and Basketball teams all four years. She will move on to pursue Physical Therapy/Biology as well as continue to play the sport she’s loved her whole life: Softball, at Bloomfield College.
If you could give your freshman self some advice, what would you tell her and why?
Mia: If I could give my freshman self some advice, it would’ve been to focus on my schoolwork, not do dumb things, and make little mistakes that got me in trouble.
You’re going to Bloomfield next fall. Why did you choose that college, and what led you to pick your major?
I chose this college because the softball coach had been reaching out to me for many, many months, and I just love the environment of the school and the equality around it. It’s not labeled as an HBCU, but if you have been around there and looked deeper into it, it is an HBCU.
For my major, I chose Biology because I want to go to school for physical therapy for sports specifically. Biology is one of the majors you need for a PT program or a physical therapy school.
Are there any regrets you have in your four years? Is there something you wish you had done?
I do have a lot of regrets, and I do wish sometimes that I hadn’t done the things I did. I like that I made mistakes, that I regret, because it taught me valuable lessons, and it taught me to mature more. I wish that I could’ve stayed away from the mistakes that I regret, but I’m happy I made them because it made me who I am today.
Which teacher will you miss the most? Why?
I would say Mr. Trenery because in his class, he wasn’t a teacher who was super hard on you, but he also wasn’t super easy on you, and made sure you stayed on top of your work, regardless of how easy the class was. He’s very positive, outspoken, and funny, and I will miss him. Honestly, taking his class last year was the best decision I made because it’s sports history, and I’m an athlete, so it made sense, and it was a great class.
When did you start playing softball, and when did you know you wanted to play at the collegiate level?
I started playing softball when I was seven, and I knew I wanted to play at the collegiate level when I noticed myself getting stronger. I knew the further along I played the sport, the more it was gonna lead me somewhere. I’m glad it led to a scholarship and being able to afford college at the same time as playing softball and learning in classes.
Who has given you the best advice in the last four years?
I would say my mom has always pushed me to do better. Even though my freshman year was kinda rocky, she still believed in me no matter what I got into. She pushed me to be at the point where I am now, since I am one of the first people in my family to go to college.
What is one thing that you would recommend to any underclassmen about being involved at JFK?
One thing I would recommend would be to participate in as many things as you can; we have amazing clubs and sports teams. It shows how much you care about being involved in the little things, like BSU …It’s really important to stay involved because at the end of the day, you won’t just be going home to do nothing.
What are you looking forward to in college the most?
I look forward to meeting all my teammates and playing softball in the spring. I’m going to Florida next summer with my team; we are going to be at Universal, so I will get to be with my team during one of the free days. I’m also excited to get to know my new coach because she’s very positive and full of energy. She’s younger, so she understands the freshman college experience because she is a first-year coach at Bloomfield.
What is one of your proudest moments from high school?
When we played East Brunswick about a month ago. We started off hot, and in my first at-bat, I hit my first over-the-fence home run. I was very proud of myself for that because it took a lot of strength, and it made me feel positive about my skills in the sport and how strong I was getting in softball.
What will you miss the most about high school?
My friends, for sure, and some of my favorite teachers. I will miss my softball family because we have grown as a team and we’ve had positives and negatives together. We did team bonding, which I loved, and I don’t want to think that it’s over, but I know it’s over.
