Olivia Cruz pursues both studio dance and Dance 4 with Rocklin High School, and she is looking forward to the Dance 4 show, “I didn’t try out for dance but I do the Dance 4 class and do the Dance 4 show which is fun. I didn’t try out because I do studio dance. If I did [try out] I would have to cut down on studio dance.”

I don’t remember most of my eighth grade year.

Dance is a wonderful part of Olivia’s life, but recently she experienced the low of her older sister leaving for college, “At first it was really depressing and like, we had the rally the day after school, I couldn’t even go because I was so sad … because she is going to Chico. Me and my friend cried the whole way back and all night.” Ever since her sister left for college, school hasn’t been the same for her. Olivia’s middle school experience was also a big change in her life. In 7th grade she had a good experience, but during 8th grade COVID hit and meant she couldn’t see her friends and was stuck at home. “It was fine, I had a good seventh grade experience because I didn’t have to deal with COVID and it is was fun to hang out with friends. I don’t remember most of my eighth grade year. We had to deal with COVID [which] was fine because I didn’t have much work and I could go on my phone and turn off my camera on zoom.”

Olivia looks forward to this upcoming 2022-2023 school and already likes this year more than last year, “It was good. I don’t really know, I like this year better than last year. I liked the beginning of last year [but] once it got to winter it got kinda boring.” Even though a lot has changed for Olivia she still has much to look forward to. Olivia’s hopes are high and she is ready to tackle this upcoming school year and what it has to bring.