The sound of senior Gen Malinen’s sneakers pounding against the field echoes through the morning air. With every stride, she accelerates, her focus unwavering and her eyes locked on the goal. As her lacrosse team gathers for practice, she leads with a quiet confidence. Off the field, she brings the same energy, determination, and heart to everything she does. 

Gen began her journey into lacrosse in frosh year, right after the pandemic, when she was looking for something new after being forced to take a break from sports and extracurriculars amidst the pandemic.  After returning to school post COVID lockdown, she felt eager to try something different to explore new interests.

“It was a new sport that I was interested in,” Gen said. “I did try doing soccer for a little bit, but that didn’t work out, and I didn’t want to do soccer or basketball. Lacrosse was something new that intrigued me.”

In her lacrosse journey, Gen encountered challenges beyond just the rules of the game.  The skills and techniques of the game involved were entirely new to her, such as learning how to hold a stick, run with the ball and shoot at the same time. These game features were much more complicated to her than soccer, where players mainly kick and dribble the ball, which made the learning curve feel steep at first. Beyond the technicalities of the sport, Gen faces the struggles of balancing academics and sports.

“It’s just time management,” Gen said. “Our practices are only an hour and a half every day. After practice, you spend time doing your schoolwork and making sure you have a schedule plan, since all sports have a similar schedule, so all athletes know the struggles.” 

But over time, Gen began to grow more comfortable on the field. As she practiced and developed her skills, she also started to form strong bonds with her teammates. The sense of community became a memorable part of Gen’s lacrosse experience, and it helped her feel more confident on the field. For Gen, she hopes to take the skills she has learned and help others learn and grow, just as she did. She takes pride in sharing the knowledge she’s gained and supporting younger players through their own journeys.

“Lacrosse has definitely helped me connect with new people and make friends,” Gen said. “When I was starting out, the upperclassmen who knew how to play were really helping me get into it, because it’s beneficial for everyone to learn from each other. As an underclassman, I learned a lot throughout the time, and then, as a junior, and now senior, I can teach underclassmen things, and it’s fun to do that.” 

Math teacher Caren Furtado, Gen’s advisor, notices how Gen has come to find her voice. Furtado appreciates her willingness to speak up and express her ideas.

“Gen has a way of leading without being bossy, and it really is a refreshing style to see that she is not afraid to have strong opinions,” Furtado said. “She’s not afraid to put those forward, but she’s not the kind of person who is so focused on it all the time, and that is really special about her.” 

Senior Olivia Guo, a close friend, admires Gen’s unwavering dedication to lead by example. She often sees Gen balancing school, practice and personal challenges, and is inspired by how Gen keeps pushing forward, no matter what obstacles arise.

“I admire how hard-working Gen is,” Olivia said. “She’s always, whenever I check up on her, in the library studying, and she tries very hard despite having many setbacks. But that’s what I really admire about her, and how she keeps pushing, and she never gives up.”

Close friend senior Rithika Yamasani, who has known Gen since middle school, also values her personal qualities. She commends Gen’s sense of empathy and calmness, as she always supports her friends during challenging times. 

“She’s really understanding,” Rithika said. “She doesn’t let stress get to her. I don’t know one word to describe the quality, but she’s really fun all the time, so she relieves our stress too by being that fun person.”

As she looks back on her lacrosse journey, Gen feels proud of the progress she’s made. She reflects on how lacrosse has taught her so much, not only about the game itself but also about time management, perseverance and how to face challenges head-on.

“Lacrosse impacted my academic and social life since it forced me to really learn how to manage my time and how to build up a skill from zero to something,” Gen said. “That’s something I’ve carried with me into everything I do.”

The skills and discipline Gen has developed through lacrosse have helped her grow as both an athlete and a person, and she feels prepared for what the future holds. She hopes to leave a lasting impact of positivity and compassion. 

“My family has been supportive of me,” Gen said. “They’re not forcing me to do a certain thing, which gives me the ability to choose what I play, what I go into. I can experiment with what I like to do, rather than being forced into something that I may not necessarily like. In the end, I want to be remembered for being helpful, being kind and making sure everyone can learn from each other.”