Student Captain Profile: Stepping Up

Emerson is the the SRLA Group Captain at High Tech LA. He is in 12th grade and this will be his second time completing the Los Angeles Marathon with Students Run LA.

What motivated you to join SRLA?

I joined initially because I wanted to take better care of my health and become more active. I stayed because of the community, the monumental challenge of the marathon, and the energizing quality of a good run.

What motivated you to become an SRLA Captain?

I saw that there wasn't involvement in many important aspects of SRLA among my peers so I stepped up and started to do more work for things like SRLA cares projects. I knew that SRLA was a great opportunity for many students, and I wanted to make sure my peers understood how to participate.

What has been your biggest challenge so far as Captain? How did you overcome it?

My greatest challenge so far as team captain has been connecting with my peers to try to help them as much as possible with the training process. I've overcome it by being more social than usual and trying my best to empathize and connect more.

What is one thing you want to accomplish as Captain?

I want to help my team as much as possible.

Anything else you'd like to share?

My brief time with SRLA has been very strange because I've never been an athletic person, especially not when I started running in the beginning of my junior year. Before I knew it, I was crossing the finish line at the 2019 LA marathon. Funny how life happens sometimes.

Emerson and with his SRLA teammates from High Tech LA at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation 5K.

One thing you can’t run without is…

Comfortable clothes and a nice view.

Your favorite place to run is...

Natural and wooded areas, preferably in the shade or under cloud cover.

Favorite post-run snack...

Snack bar with chocolate, peanut butter, and/or caramel

The best part of every race is...

Hitting the second wind.

Thank you to Emerson for sharing your story with our community. To support students like Emerson and his teammates at High Tech LA make a contribution at srla.org/donate.