A nervous, stuttering reporter. A compassionate, considerate pageant contestant. “You did so good,” complimented the contestant. Sarah Garcia’s humble and understanding nature set me at ease as I fumbled through the beginning of our interview. This is just one reason Sarah would represent San Bernardino High School well if she won the title of Miss Cardinal. 

“Living in San Bernardino, you have the stereotype where youth are expected to be pregnant or to have already lost their virginity. People outside of San Bernardino think we are different from what we really are,” Sarah said. One of her ambitions in life is to change that stereotype and to show people that something good can come from the dust. She also wants to do better than what people expect a teen in San Bernardino to do.

Sarah does many things to help her school and community. She passes food out at her church, mentors kids, and volunteers at elementary schools. She does whatever she can to help. “I love helping out my community,” she said. After graduation, she plans to continue giving back to the city by “providing medical assistance to low income individuals.” 

Her most memorable experience was her freshman year during football season. During the game, everything and everyone was happy. The happiness that surrounded her at the game brought her so much joy.

The person that inspires Sarah the most is her mother. She describes her mother as a strong, hard-working, and independent woman. A woman who shows Sarah that even if you are alone in life, you can still do the things you need to get done. “I aspire to be just like her,” Sarah commented.  

When asked to describe herself, she described herself as “the girl who always smiles” and the one who never lacks but is always humble. “I love to smile, it’s my favorite thing,” she added.

A quote Sarah would use is, “the secret of getting ahead is getting started” by Mark Twain. She explained that it reminds her of the future and how the future shouldn’t be a struggle to reach. Getting ahead in life seems impossible, especially since life can be difficult. This quote helps her to remain ahead through all “the ‘bumps’ in the road.” She said, “In order to remain ahead, you have to get started; the perfect time to get started on anything in life (bettering yourself, starting a career, etc.) is to just get started.”