Basketball programs experience international flavor: Marina Sacristan Hidalgo

Samo is one of the most diverse high schools with students of heritage from around the world. However, not everyone who goes to Samo lives in the US entirely. Exchange student Marina Sacristan Hidalgo (’18) is from Coruqa, Spain and is spending the next year at Samo immersing herself in American culture. Hidalgo got the opportunity to be a temporary student at Samo through AFS-USA, a nonprofit organization that offers exchange student programs around the world. Hidalgo’s family (her grandma, uncle, cousin, and father included) have been using the AFS system to come to the US to study in the school system for about sixty years. Through AFS, Hidalgo was placed at Samo and is thankful she ended up here. “I love Samo, especially the diversity,” Hidalgo said. “It’s way bigger than my high school in Spain. There are more options to choose from in classes, sports, clubs, and music.” Hidalgo taking a variety of classes, essentially becoming an American high school junior for the year. She is currently taking US history, AP English, physics, pre-calculus and drawing. While English is her favorite class, she has also taken an interest in girls basketball.Not only has she taken an interest, but with her seven years of prior experience as a point guard, she plays for both the junior varsity (JV) and varsity teams at Samo. For Hidalgo, sports have been a big part of her life, both at home and here in the US. “Both countries love sports, [but] people here work more individually because the chances of playing professionally are higher,” Hidalgo said.Both countries’ cultures largely revolve around sports, whether it's American football or encierro, more commonly known as the running of the bulls through the streets of Pamplona. In Spanish schools, students only play one sport and the season lasts for the entire school year. Although Hidalgo doesn't play at her school in Spain, their athletics are much more focused on girls’ athletics than boys. “It's really important to me because I believe that girls don't have as much attention as guys in sports,” Hidalgo said.Despite the differences between athletic cultures in both countries, Hidalgo says that together they allow her to grow more as a player and person. At the end of the school year, Hidalgo will return to Coruqa with new experiences, strengths and another part of her identity. A year abroad adds a whole new part to oneself, and Hidalgo is sure to walk away with that after Samo.