Karate and music are her passion.
At first glance at this always smiling and somewhat shy freshman, some would not guess the many hidden talents possessed by Sara Hernandez.
Growing up with a family that has roots in Coahuila Mexico, Hernandez was raised playing soccer and listening to very diverse forms of music. “I’m very close to my family, especially my mom and my dad, and activities like these [music and sports] helped us connect,” she said. In these past few months she has begun to pick up new hobbies which she loves. “My dad encouraged me to begin doing karate and kickboxing, and for the last six months I’ve really enjoyed these two sports,” she added.
Hernandez has recently dedicated her time to helping younger children learn karate. By taking lessons and helping a few hours each week, she is slowly working her way to becoming a Black Belt in the sport. “I’ve been doing this for about six months and I am already a Yellow Belt. In the class I help the children learn all the steps, because I know that it can be hard to learn them in the first attempts,” said Hernandez, who tries to be there for the kids not only for the karate class but for everything. She knows that working with the students takes a lot of patience, which she has learned from having an older brother and a younger sister. “Even though they are a lot of work, the kids teach me lots of lessons, too. They are always so happy, no matter what is going on in their lives; and seeing them happy makes me feel happy,” she said, with a big grin.
Clearly a leader in her karate classes, Sara Hernandez also decided to join these sports for personal reasons. “I believe it’s very important to learn self-defense. That’s one of the main reasons my dad encouraged me to begin the karate classes,” said Hernandez. Besides learning many methods of self-defense in the class, she also finds it’s a good way to let go of stress and anger. “By taking out all the anger I accumulate in school and at home in karate, it makes me be less likely to be stressed with schoolwork, drama and other things going on in my life,” she said.
Science Teacher Niki Conley, one of Hernandez’s favorite teachers, believes her to be a very involved, unselfish and calm person both in and out of school. “Sara is everyones friend. She does everything she needs to do and goes beyond the expectations, and all of the things she is involved in help her be that way,” she said.
Besides working with karate, Sara Hernandez also loves music. “I began playing the violin in 5th grade, and it is one of my favorite things to do,” said Sara, who loves to listen to all types of music; everything from Duranguenze (a mix of country and fast-paced sounds which originated in northern Mexico) to R&B. She also likes to spend much of her time singing and composing songs about many topics important in her everyday life. “The songs I write are just about whatever I am thinking at the moment. A lot of them are about my friends, family, and past experiences.” Hernandez is also beginning to learn to play the guitar, a hobby she tries to include between her school schedule and the many other activities going on in her life. A follower of Latin and Spanish sounds, she wishes to tie her songwriting and music she is learning to play, together.
From karate to kickboxing, and song writing and music, Sara Hernandez loves spending time with her friends and especially her family. She tries to keep all of her hobbies from taking over all of her time. “I really love all of the things I am doing, but sometimes it can be hard to keep things on track. You just have to learn that no matter how much you love all of these things, your loved ones come first.”
