With one trimester down, San Luis High Obispo High School seniors are eager to jump into their future. A handful of students are attending Cuesta Community College, some are going out of state, and others are staying in California. And a select handful are pursuing their sports career at a collegiate level. Expressions interviewed senior gymnast Tia Gin to get the inside scoop on her signing with San Jose State University (SJSU).

Expressions: How many years have you been doing gymnastics for?

Senior Tia Gin: I’ve been doing gymnastics for 11 years.

Expressions: Who or what has been your main motivation?

Gin: My main motivation has been my coaches and teachers throughout the years. Also, getting a gymnastics scholarship has been one of the main reasons why I’ve stayed with the sport for so long.

Expressions: What was your initial reaction when you found that SJSU was interested in you?

Gin: I was super excited and a little bit shocked that someone wanted me on their team so badly. But overall, I was very happy and excited.

Expressions: What do you hope to study?

Gin: I want to study kinesiology [the scientific study of human or non-human body movement], and then afterwards, I want to go into nursing school to get my nursing degree.

Expressions: What advice would you give to people trying to attain a sports scholarship?

Gin: For people trying to get scholarships, I would say that you should never give up. The hard work that the person gives into the sport will definitely get rewarded in some way. Also, there are many parts that I didn’t know you had to do for a college scholarship. Example: sending in your SAT scores to the NCAA eligibility center.