Braden River senior bounces back on team

BRADEN RIVER — Two years ago, Gabriela DeJesus was living her dream.

The Braden River point guard was playing varsity for the Lady Pirates and was the team’s second best player as a sophomore.

But in a matter of months, DeJesus learned how quickly a dream could be taken away. Midway through her sophomore season, DeJesus suffered an injury and had to sit out the remainder of the season.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

At the same time, DeJesus’ grades dropped, and at the end of the season, coach Carl Williams told her she was academically ineligible and wouldn’t be able to play for the Lady Pirates.

The news devastated DeJesus, who has been playing basketball since she was 6 years old.

“I cried,” DeJesus said. “I’ve been playing for so long, and it’s my life.”

DeJesus struggled with issues outside of school that ultimately affected her schoolwork. So much so that her grade-point average continued to decline to a low of 1.3.

With her grades spiraling, DeJesus’ father, Orlando, approached her at the beginning of her junior year and asked her to go to a Christian retreat. While she was there, DeJesus heard the wake-up call she desperately needed.

“One of the ladies told me, ‘If you aren’t careful, your two dreams will disappear,’” DeJesus said. “I didn’t know what she meant at first, but then I got it.”

DeJesus went back to school and asked Williams if she could come back to the team if she brought her grades up. Williams agreed.

DeJesus began to turn her life around.

The long road back
DeJesus enrolled in three online courses to make up for her sophomore year. Those courses, which lasted two semesters each, were in addition to her regular workload at Braden River.

“The hardest part was the online school, because it was very time consuming,” DeJesus said.

DeJesus didn’t touch a basketball the entire time she was trying to bring her grades up, and it took a while before DeJesus could even bring herself to go watch her teammates play.

DeJesus’ hard work paid off when she brought her cumulative GPA up to a 2.0, which made her academically eligible. To do so, DeJesus maintained a minimum of 3.5 on every report card, as well as earning a B or better for each of her online courses. Most recently, DeJesus earned a 3.7 on her report card.

Finally, on Aug. 15 — the day after her birthday — DeJesus received the phone call she had waited more than a year to take. She could return to the court.

“I kind of knew it was coming, but just the confirmation was emotional,” DeJesus said.

DeJesus’ determination not only served as an inspiration to her fellow Lady Pirates but also her coach.

“I have a hard time (thinking) about this without tears in my eyes,” Williams said. “This girl has worked her tail off for one senior season, and now, she will get it.”

Return to action
DeJesus returned to the Lady Pirates earlier this fall — much to the delight and admiration of her teammates. Now, she is savoring every minute of her senior season.

“It’s really exciting,” DeJesus said of being back out on the court. “Several of my teammates came up to me and told me they were glad that I was back. I’m not looking forward to the end (though), because it’s my senior year.”

Following her senior season, DeJesus will focus her attention on fulfilling her two dreams — playing basketball at the college level and becoming a veterinarian.

“I’ve learned just to stay focused in school and not let anything distract me,” DeJesus said.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].