Senior Stories: Natalia – The Semicolon's Meaning After Loss
Natalia Rodriguez has been running with Students Run LA (SRLA) for six years and recently graduated as Salutatorian from Woodrow Wilson High School. This year, she was awarded the SRLA Scholarship and will use it to attend Stanford University, where she will major in Political Science and International Relations. Below, Natalia shares her SRLA journey in her own words.
Natalia in her Class of 2024 High School graduation outfit.
Sem·i·co·lon: an indication used when a sentence could’ve ended, but the author chose to continue it.
As I was writing my English essays in sixth grade, I found myself struggling to use a semicolon correctly. Kevin, who would later become my best friend, would always revise my punctuation in my essays. After English class, we had P.E. It was Wednesday, which meant we had to run 2 miles around the track, simplified to 8 laps. I hated Wednesdays. Kevin was always faster than me, lapping me and asking me why I walked the majority of the time. It wasn’t because I was tired, or sore, nor because I had no endurance. I simply just did not enjoy running. Naturally, the thought of completing a marathon was completely out of the question for me. It’s not that I didn’t find marathons impressive. I simply had no interest in pushing my body to that limit.
My mindset changed in 7th grade when El Sereno Middle School was looking for students to join the SRLA team. At the age of thirteen, I started training for my first marathon. Having never run long distance before, I started dreading the 5 a.m. morning runs and the exhaustion that followed. Each Saturday, as the sun rose, the miles increased and I soon started maintaining a steady pace. Alongside my running buddies, I had to consciously decide to listen to my body and give myself a break, endure aches and exhaustion, and persist to complete my mile training. I enjoyed catching up with my friends and soaking in the incredible landscapes and views I would run through. At times, running steep or long hills were challenging but the feeling of getting to the top of the hill was the most rewarding part. I became the fastest runner in my physical education class, constantly challenging my best friend to a mile run. I ran numerous races until it was time for the LA Marathon. The race I had trained so hard for and dedicated so much time to had finally come. Throughout the last few miles of the marathon, I started to reflect back on my training and the challenges I had to face. As my mileage increased I had to learn how to fit my runs into my schedule, even if it meant getting up at 5 a.m. Despite my dry gasps for air and fatigued legs, physical challenges weren’t the only obstacles I needed to face. Mentally, I had no clue what I would need to overcome each day.
Natalia celebrating after her completion of the 2024 LA Marathon.
My coach once told me, “Keep running even if your feet feel like they're falling off.”
That’s exactly what I did when I heard the heartbreaking truth of my best friend's death; he ended his own life. I didn’t know how to process the information, all I knew was that I wanted to run until I felt like my feet were falling off, and even then, I wanted to continue running. I had to learn how to deal with one of the greatest challenges life puts before us. The tragic death of my best friend took a toll on me emotionally and mentally. I felt as if the only thing I knew I could control was every mile I ran. Running was not just a thing I did, it was a place I went. Somewhere I could be alone and let my thoughts unspool or barely think at all. Running was my language- my most effective means of communication within myself that shaped my approach to grieving the loss of my best friend. As I put myself through this psychologically challenging experience, I built resilience. I was able to successfully navigate the mental and physical challenges of running. Although the physical effort of running long miles caused soreness and fatigued legs, the hardest challenge was keeping my mind from ruminating on different problems or decisions I needed to process in life. As I ran, I focused on my breathing and posture and verbalized my pride in myself, my journey, and growing my endurance. I remind myself that I still have more to give and push myself out of my comfort zone. Although the marathon is just one day, it really is composed of all the training runs and the little extra time and effort put into it.
Natalia celebrating after her completion of the 2023 LA Marathon.
SRLA has taught me resilience. Resilience has paved the way for me to be a 6-time marathon finisher. It can be as simple as when it’s drizzling outside and I didn’t feel like running, but I did anyway. Or when I get lost on the route and end up navigating around the cities and finding my new favorite coffee shop. These small moments throughout training have built up my capacity to navigate challenges and enhance my mindset. From first thinking, I could never put myself through running a marathon; to then proving myself wrong and running the marathon not just once, but six times. Resilience will help me in college as I have developed the ability to learn from mistakes and challenges, and continue to challenge myself as I know I will approach them confidently and with resilience. It’s important to realize that failure is normal and part of the journey to success, which is what SRLA taught me all about. I didn’t always beat my pr or improve on every run, but I knew that through more practice and determination I would get very close.
Long-lasting memories and everlasting friendships were the most significant takeaways from running in SRLA for the past 6 years. The amazing people I have met and the experiences I’ve had in SRLA have allowed me to find extreme importance in developing friendships, making the most out of my time, and having a positive mindset even in the most challenging times. Not only have I had an unforgettable experience in SRLA, but I realized that I have a positive impact on those around me and on those that I try to be role models for. Through the hours and miles I spent with my friends, we developed trust and camaraderie that wouldn’t have happened without running. We all joked around and made each other laugh even when we were running in the rain as it distracted us from our wet socks. Even when I went into high school, I was fortunate enough to have a spot at El Sereno Middle School’s SRLA team. I have motivated middle school runners to run faster than they thought they could. I motivated my friends to keep running even when they do not feel like it. Through the cramps, I found significance in motivating and encouraging everyone around me as they do for me when I struggle. This year’s SRLA season, during my senior year, culminated my running career in high school and was by far one to remember, but it is definitely not the end of my running adventures.
Natalia speaking during her High School Graduation as the Class of 2024 Salutatorian.
Although the past year has changed me, I’m still driven to push myself and accomplish more as an athlete and a person in the world. I’ve become a major mental health advocate for my community and the founder of the first suicide awareness club at my school. As its President, I’ve volunteered for Walk To Prevent Suicide events, which raised an overall $108K towards implementing educational programs in the community, providing support services for loss survivors, and funding research to reduce the rate of suicide. The countless weeks of pain, dedication, and sacrifice, due to marathon training, has shaped me into being an advocate for suicide prevention programs. I committed to running the 2024 LA Marathon on my best friend’s birthday, May 17th, in remembrance of him and increasing suicide awareness. This personal and emotional tribute to my best friend constantly pushed me through each mile to reach the 26.2 mile goal.
The truth behind my best friend’s death is what finally made the meaning of the semicolon stick for me. The semicolon is a symbol for suicide awareness. It demonstrates that tough times do not mean the end of one’s life, or sentence, but can mean the start of something new. I stand as an advocate for those who have confronted similar challenges, utilizing my experience to aid others in navigating suicidal ideation to prove that even in the darkest of times, we can find solace and strength. I'm committed to continuing my sentence while helping others continue theirs. People who fight against their suicidal thoughts are choosing to continue their life despite the challenges they have faced.
Thus, the semicolon is a symbol of strength and hope.