Super Kid: Success after rough start for Marysville senior

Switching schools: Justina attended Everett High School, then Marysville-Pilchuck High, before landing at Marysville Mountain View, an alternative high school, two years ago. The small classes and credit retrieval program at Mountain View were a good fit for her. "I love it. If I didn't go here, I would be have been a super senior twice. The teachers really care."

Diploma day: Velazquez will graduate Tuesday, on time with her class. It's a huge accomplishment for a teen who earned just one credit her freshman year. She skipped class a lot and ran away from home. She eventually returned and decided she needed to finish school before she could live on her own.

Shooting hoops: Basketball kept Velazquez motivated to earn good grades and graduate. Since Mountain View doesn't have a team, for the past two years she's played forward for the varsity team at Heritage High, a Marysville school tailored to American Indians. "I can't play basketball unless I have good grades. I always wanted to play college ball. You can't get into college unless you have good grades."

College plans: In the fall, Velazquez plans to begin studying photography at Everett Community College. She also wants to take business courses with the goal of owning a photo studio. She hopes to play basketball for the school.

Lummi member: Velazquez is a member of the Lummi tribe, but she lives on the Tulalip reservation. She enjoys living on the reservation because it's easy for her to get help. Velazquez and her younger sister live with their older sister, Dena Jimicum, 35, and her family. She's lived with them since she was 7 years old. Before that she was in foster care and was delighted to finally live with her sister.

Role model: Velazquez looks up to investigative television journalist Lisa Ling. Velazquez and some of her classmates heard Ling speak in Seattle earlier this year. "I like how she goes to extremes, goes where she wants to and shows the world what else is out there."

Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com



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