Senior Stories: Violet, Leading Her SRLA Team
Violet Cueva-Flores first started running with Students Run LA (SRLA) during her first year of high school and hasn’t stopped since! She recently graduated from Animo Inglewood Charter High School and was awarded the SRLA Scholarship this year. This upcoming fall, she’ll attend Dartmouth College, where she plans on majoring in Mathematics. Here, Violet shares her SRLA journey in her own words.
Violet holding her Dartmouth acceptance letter.
Growing up in Inglewood, a low-income neighborhood, I never had many resources for high intensity sports, let alone the budget to justify $100+ running shoes. Even when I first began SRLA, I was running with 3 year-old Adidas shoes that would give me blisters if I went too fast. A lack of proper running gear definitely impacted how much I could truly push myself, but luckily, that all changed when SRLA provided me with everything I needed.
When I got my first pair of SRLA issued running shoes, I finally understood the stereotypical “running on air” claim. I genuinely wanted to run immediately after putting them on, so that’s exactly what I did. In fact, I ran after every new piece of equipment I received. By the end of the season, my running uniform provided immense comfort. While I was initially content with my Walmart sports bras and $1 socks, there was no denying the improvements that brand new, high quality items would bring. The comfier I was, the more I was willing to push myself, and the faster I was able to run.
“Without SRLA, my running abilities would be nowhere near where they are right now.”
Violet dressed up before her Spring into Summer 5K race
As the first student to complete 4 years of SRLA at my highschool, I have unexpectedly found many of my teammates looking up to me throughout the years. In hopes of encouraging the lower class men to aspire for the best, I have developed my leadership skills immensely.
My 10th grade year was a turning point due to the fact that it was the first year back from virtual school, and I was the only student in my 2nd consecutive year of SRLA. While I had definitely improved my pace leading up to the start of sophomore year, I couldn’t help but see a reflection of myself in the freshmen, more specifically those who struggled. My coach provided immense amounts of support, and yet, I felt a sense of urgency. Sometimes, the best type of support comes from someone your age. So, I promised myself that I would be the role model my 9th grade self never had.
Violet’s high school graduation outfit.
Violet proudly holds her medal and hoodie after completing the SRLA Cross the finish line Marathon during the pandemic.
In addition to my encouragement, I took initiative by verifying that our team had everything we needed for success. I managed supplies such as gel blocks and water bottles, making sure that we always had enough for the entire team. While my team is now very close to one another, at the beginning, some students were afraid to speak up. In order to attend to everyone’s needs, I made sure that I checked with everyone individually, and ensured that everyone had the opportunity to voice their opinions. I continue to support my team in these ways, focusing especially on those that are new.
I had already proved to myself that I was capable of a marathon, so I decided to utilize my time at practice. At practice, I would take the pace of whatever student had fallen behind. I had previously noticed that some of the freshmen were ashamed of their pace, but with another student by their side, this quickly changed. There was no judgment, there was no force, there was just pure encouragement and support. Eventually, the students that had once felt embarrassed were clearly enjoying themselves, and their improvement soon followed. I of course took time outside of practice to properly train, but with my team, my mentorship prevailed. Thanks to my help, however, the students were able to improve so much that they no longer needed me to stay behind.
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