Fatima Cortes grew up in Riverside, California, and led her high school cross-country and track team to two state titles and a CIF Division I championship in 2018. She's heading to UC Berkeley to study engineering and run there, crediting her coaches and parents for shaping her as a leader.
My name is Fatima Cortes, and this is my senior exit video. I was born on August 17th, 2001, in Riverside, California, to my parents Frank and Florina Cortes. I have lived in California my whole life along with my 3 brothers, Mark, Ramses, and Isaac.
¡525,000 momentos, oh dear! ¡525,600!
¡Mira! Throughout high school, I have assisted in track meets, fundraisers, and running camps. In these events, we help others discover whether or not they have a passion for running. In the city of Temecula, I have been a part of leadership groups that help the youth of our community to discover their paths. I have also been a dedicated member of my church. In which I've cleaned up trash around the classrooms and buildings and helped to set up and run community events. Additionally, I've been privileged to represent our school and was invited to the State Capitol to be recognized.
Season's alive!
One of the passions I further developed in high school is a love for the outdoors. From trips to hikes to runs, I've been blessed to experience the amazing views and adventures that nature provides. This passion has grown throughout high school, as I'm always looking for different places to run so that I can not only put in the work, but enjoy the view as I do it. My love for the outdoors brings me a sense of peace, as I can enjoy God's creation at its finest. Because of this, I'm very excited to be attending Berkeley next year, as the school is surrounded by many beautiful forests and trails to run in.
Who makes potions in a traveling show. I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do. My gift is my song, yeah. This one's for you. And you can tell everybody. This is a song. It may be quite simple, but now that it's done, I hope you don't mind. I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is while you're in the world.
When I joined cross country as a freshman, I instantly fell in love with the team chemistry and unbreakable bonds created between teammates. Although as a freshman and sophomore I was not at the top of the team, my devotion to my team had grown tremendously, and I was anxious to become a main component. My junior and senior year, I led my team to 2 state titles and 2 appearances at nationals. In track for relay events, we set national leads and won countless invitations. Nationals. In 2018, both our girls and boys won the CIF Division I title, a feat only accomplished by Great Oaks' 2016 team. As a leader of this team, I've learned to lead by example, as my actions on the team will be remembered more than anything. I've been able to help my coaches rally our team together to do one of the most important lessons I've learned in high school, which is to compete for others, not just for yourself.
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen. And you can tell everybody this is your song. It may be quite simple, but now that it's done, I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in the words How wonderful life is while you're in the world. I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, but I'll put down in words how wonderful life is while you're in the world.
Next year I will be attending UC Berkeley, where I will be studying engineering and continuing my cross-country and track career. Thank you to all my friends, coaches, and especially my parents, who made me who I am today.
