Evelynn Ramirez didn't always know that she wanted to play volleyball. She first tried cheerleading, track, soccer, softball, dance and gymnastics.

But once she played volleyball, she knew that is was the sport for her. 

“I love playing sports, but I especially love volleyball which is why I stuck with it since I was 9,” said Ramirez. 

Her younger brother is currently in the process of trying out different sports. She has another brother and a sister with two kids as well. 

“We are all super close,” said Ramirez. 

Ramirez is a junior at Saguaro High School and has been on the varsity volleyball team since her sophomore year. Last season, she had 25 digs, and this year she had 165.  She was also awarded “Best Defensive Player” this season. 

Ramirez also became a leader and someone to look up to for the first-time varsity players. 

“Although she wasn't technically captain, I considered her a leader on our team and I know she was respected by her teammates as if she was one,” said Tim Church, the varsity coach. 

Being a full-time student and athlete can be challenging, but Ramirez not only manages but excels at both. 

Ramirez is part of the National Honors Society and she takes school very seriously. She has a weighted GPA of 5.0 and unweighted of 4.0. She has been taking college classes at Scottsdale Community College, where she also has a perfect GPA. 

Communications and College Success are college classes she took at SCC her sophomore year, and she is currently taking Psychology. She is already enrolled in English for the second semester. Along with the classes she is taking at SCC, she is also going to have an anatomy class under her belt at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT). 

EVIT is a public education system of training options for potential careers for East Valley high school students and Phoenix-area adults. By her senior year, Ramirez will have to decide between the dental assistant's program or the psychology program. From there, she can become a certified technician in one of those two fields, and she hopes to do this by the time she graduates high school. 

“I can be in a better paying job while I’m in college and be able to pay for everything easier,” said Ramirez.

Her hard work in athletics and school does not go unnoticed. Her close friend, Madeline Nielsen, describes her as determined. 

“She honestly gets everything done and has a mindset that is so productive,” said Nielsen. “It’s insane. She does so much and does it well.”  

Teammate McKenzie Randall describes her as kind-hearted. 

“Whether we are on the court or off the court she always has a smile on her face and is concerned about others as well as herself,” said Randall. “She would be the first person to help someone out in any situation and never leave anyone behind.”