A West Valley High School student was one out of 96 students across the nation to be named a Semper Fidelis All American Athlete. Krystina Lorch, now a senior at West Valley, was anonymously nominated last year for this honor and received an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. with the other nominees over the summer. This year was the first year the United States Marines were honoring both boys and girls for the title of All American Athlete.
Krystina admitted she didn’t know what to expect when she got off the plane in Washington D.C. for the All American Athlete Battles Won Academy. She said as soon as they walked into the hotel they saw banners congratulating all the students for being named an All American Athlete. During their three-day visit, they went on a scavenger hunt where each monument had a clue, attended a community service event where they helped clear a football field of weeds and tall grass, and participated in combat training. Krystina said she truly enjoyed her trip and was thankful for the opportunity to make friends with perople around the country.
The Marines were very selective in who was named; they had specific guidelines for the students to be a Semper Fidelis All American Athlete and all students needed to meet certain requirements. Students needed to be juniors in high school, hold a 3.5 GPA, play a competitive sport, log community service hours, and have been faced with adversity. In her essay to the Marines, Krystina explained that at the age of 10 she was elbowed in the eye and ruptured a blood vessel, which resulted in surgery. After surgery, she experienced inflammation and needed multiple medications both topical and injections. After seven years of recovery and many side effects from the medications, Krystina was released from her primary Ophthalmologist.
Middle school was the toughest time for Krystina, because that was when she was struggling with her eyesight the most. She remembers losing friendships during this time and began focusing on academia and athletics as a way to deal with her struggles. She became involved in Student Council and became the President, was on the Academic Decathlon team, and received praise for her athleticism both at school and in her community leagues.
Despite her adversity, Krystina is determined to meet her goals. She has already been accepted at Felician University where she will continue to play softball and study cyber security and psychology to pursue her dream of working for the FBI.
Congratulations Krystina on your acceptance into college and for continuing to display tenacity and determination towards your goals despite adversity. We are extremely proud of your accomplishment of being named a Semper Fidelis All American Athlete and representing Hemet and West Valley so well; it truly is a great day to be a Mustang!