Whataburger Student Athlete of the Month:<br> Desert View High School's Alex Ojeda
Tucson Desert View High School senior Alex Ojeda is the Whataburger Student Athlete of the Month for January.
A senior at Desert View, Ojeda is one of only a few female three-sport varsity athletes. She has played basketball since fourth grade, when her parents first got her involved in sports, and has since added volleyball and softball to her agenda.
"I've kind of always been involved in a lot of sports," Ojeda said. "Like when I was little my dad put me in flag football. I was the only girl on the team."
But with academic and community responsibilities as well, Ojeda has been doing a balancing act for years.
"Not a lot of girls here play three sports and excel in all three," said Desert View assistant athletic director Michael Franklin, who nominated Ojeda. "To play the sports is one thing, but to excel the way she has in all three is really special, and it has been awesome to watch."
Ojeda admits the year-long sports schedule can get overwhelming, especially with just one weekend off between sports seasons, but she never stops enjoying the competition.
"It's pretty much just changing my gym bag from basketball shoes to cleats," Ojeda said.
Ojeda, a forward on the basketball court, says she considers herself a leader to younger teammates who look up to her and feels a responsibility to set a good example. She hopes to continue playing basketball when she joins the Air Force after graduation.
Ojeda, an honor roll student, just finished up a semester of straight A's, which she says will give her a 4.0 GPA. She's taking advanced placement English and has taken a number of other honors courses. Her academic achievement was enough to qualify her for National Honor Society.
Academics come easy to Ojeda, she says, and have always been a high priority. Her parents instilled that in her, requiring she complete academic responsibilities before competing in sports. Her coaches foster that focus as well by setting aside time for studying and homework before practices.
"If we know that somebody (on the team) isn't doing so good in a class, we kind of come together and help each other out," Ojeda said.
Ojeda's favorite class in high school was a sports medicine course she took as a sophomore. After the Air Force, Ojeda wants to be a physical therapist.
"A lot of the girls in our program look up to her, not so much just because what they see her do on the court, but also with how she manages her time, how she's able to juggle and balance all of those things," Franklin said. "She's most certainly a role model and a leader."
In addition to National Honor Society, Ojeda is an active member of DECA, an international sales and marketing association for students. She's charged with organizing community service projects, despite this being just her first year of participation. Most recently, she put together a clothing and blanket drive for donation to the Salvation Army.
Ojeda was also part of a health club earlier in high school, traveling to different middle schools and elementary schools to teach kids basketball skills.
"I like little kids and I like basketball, so I put two and two together and that was really fun," Ojeda said.
Ojeda also takes part in community projects with NHS.
FSAZ: What is your proudest moment so far as an athlete?
Ojeda: Probably making varsity in basketball my freshman year. That was really great. I didn’t expect it at all. I was excited but scared at the same time that I'd be this little freshman with a bunch of girls that have been doing it for a while.
FSAZ: And off the field -- what's your proudest accomplishment as a member of the community or at school?
Ojeda: Probably being a member of NHS. That's kind of a big thing just to be considered with all the other people who have been able to maintain grades, athletics and everything else.
FSAZ: What has been the biggest influence in your life that's led to your well-rounded focus on sports, academics and community involvement?
Ojeda: My parents, definitely. They just have high expectations for me. They know what I'm capable of doing, so they don't let me go any lower than those expectations.
FSAZ: What kind of impact do you feel Alex have on the atmosphere at Desert View?
Desert View assistant athletic director Michael Franklin: This being her senior year, she has definitely left her mark. There are a ton of young ladies that when they walk our campus see Alex and you hear them talk — if they're an athlete, they want to be like her. They want to participate in the extra-curricular things like she does outside athletics, and they just want to be around her. People just naturally want to be around her.
