Los Angeles, Calif., May 23, 2017 / 04:46 am
To a pitcher, a little situation like bases loaded, full count and trying to protect a one-run lead in the late innings is no big deal - not if you've been doing this since you were 8 years old.
And not if, like St. Bonaventure High School pitching star Jessica Gomez, you're aiming for a career in pediatric nursing, where matters of life and death will mean something a lot different than they did on a softball field.
And certainly not if, like this senior scholar-athlete, you are a lifelong Catholic who believes Christ is present in every part of your life, which is why she chooses to serve others, willingly and joyfully.
"As someone who's been raised Catholic, I've always been involved in service activities," said Gomez, who tutors kids with learning disabilities and helps serve the hungry through the Many Meals feeding program at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ventura. "It just really touches me when I encounter the love of Christ through service."