Hilltop Views (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 4, 2019 Page: 3 of 12
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SPORTS 13
FAREWELL! WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4,2019 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
By ODETT OCHOA
2018'2019
1..
STEDWARD5
expec-
on
court bring
-
the
out
High
tations
ODETT OCHOA / HILLTOP VIEWS
As a senior at St. Edward's, Ashton Spears looks to add
to his already decorated career. With a career-high 42
points, the guard added yet another impressive accom-
plishment.
ell, the two faculty supervi- not always been the best or
G.O.A.T. OF THE MONTH:
ASHTON SPEARS
2017, when I was news edi-
tor for a semester, thank you
for the laughs as we tirelessly
put together a paper every
Monday night (sometimes
Tuesday morning) and being
sors I had the privilege of
working with, always had
their doors open and a word
of guidance when I felt like I
wasn’t cut out for this indus-
more seriously.” Spears said.
Although this is Spears’
second year in head coach
Andre Cook’s program, he
plays like a four-year veteran.
Spears credits much of his
success to the coaching staff.
“Coach Cook has played a
big role in my life, especially
off the court. Steve keeps me
level headed when I have a
good game, bad game. He
doesn’t tell me what I want to but also
try. Professor Heath’s inter- has made my four and a half
active journalism class was years here worthwhile.
f A
pn I
T J
o-v .
easiest, I lived in a hotel and
was flooded out of my dorm
afterall, but I was always able
to find solace and commu-
nity in times of need and that
The “G.O.A.T. of the
Month” is a segment in
which the Hilltop Views
sports section recognizes
the consistent, impactful
performance of a stand'
out SEU athlete during the
span of a month.
into a man of conviction.
“Ashton thrives in a basket-
ball environment in which
a lot is expected of him. He
wants to be great and be in a
situation where he is needed
to be great," Ayala said.
Spears and company will
return to play on Dec. 7 by
hosting Millsaps at 3 p.m.
the first in my minor, when
everything about this profes-
sion was still intimidating.
Your support has helped me
beyond the classroom and
I will always be grateful to
have sat in your classes and
worked alongside you.
Most of all, thank you to the
College Assistance Migrant
Program (CAMP) and Perla
Delgado, Rosalinda Valdez
and Gilbert Contreras for
giving me the opportunity
to pursue a college education
in the first place. I’ve made
a family at CAMP and you
have helped opened doors
beyond agriculture work for
not only me but countless of
students. I cannot thank you
enough.
As a daughter of Mexican
immigrants, raised by a single
mother in a migrant farm-
working family, pursuing a
college degree, especially in a
city like Austin, never seemed
possible. St. Edward’s has
provided me with life chang-
ing experiences.
My time at this school has
Journalism wasn’t my first I
choice, or my second. My
first year at St. Edward’s
I changed my major three
times because I had no idea
what career I wanted to pur-
sue. As a first generation stu-
dent, I had no real guidance
of what to do.
On a whim I decided to at-
tend a Hilltop Views budget
meeting and ended up taking I
a story. I struggled to write a
500-word opinion piece, but
there was no turning back
once I got the rush of seeing
my byline in the paper.
After writing and cover-
ing events on the HV social
media for a semester, I de-
*
III 1111111111118
1118118 81^
SENIOR REFLECTION
MYRKA MORENO
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
“It’s simple: I
just pray. Before
every single practice, game.
I pray for the confidence
and mental stability to get
through the game.... Me be-
ing away, I brought with me
here, my spirituality is every-
thing to me. Me being here
gives them hope. It took me
a while to really understand
that, but once I did, that’s
when I started taking things
hear, he tells me what I need
to hear. I couldn’t ask for a
better coaching staff” Spears
said.
The Independence, La.,
native illustrates how facing
adversity early on led him
to not only bring the same
toughness on the court but
also view basketball as much
I
1"I‘ III
lji
innate qualities
in Spears that al-
low him to play
with confidence
and display ex-
cellence. Serving
as an assistant
since 2014, Ayala
chronicles Spears'
transition as one
that not only pro-
duced a successful
basketball player
transformed him
dared journalism as a minor
and joined the team as social
media editor. In the past four
years I’ve been able to carve
my own career path merging
social media with journalism,
something I thought impos-
sible.
Hilltop Views provided me
with an opportunity to ex-
plore my passion and try on
different hats as I explored
the industry. I was able to
build networks and intern
with publications that have
shaped my career.
I’ve jumped a lot of hurdles
and still struggle with impos-
ter syndrome, but I wouldn't
be here, graduating and con-
fident in my career path,
without the support of every-
one I've crossed paths with at
Hilltop Views.
Rosemond Crown, my first
Editor-in-Chief, who taught
me the ropes and to never
back down when you find
your passion. Thank you for
being my first mentor. Your
resilience and boldness were
an inspiration when I was
terrified to join a team of in-
credibly talented editors.
All the editors from Fall
offered me countless rides
and emotional support while
I lived in a hotel. Some of my
best memories were made in
Andre Hall with you.
To all the current editors
who make me feel old but I
love nonetheless: your pas-
sion and persistence inspires
me and has helped me push
through when I felt like I
absolutely would never, ever
find a job in the field I want-
ed. You are the kind of jour-
nalists we need and I cannot
wait to see your career flour-
ish.
To Matthew San Martin
and Gianni Zorrilla, I am
lucky to have worked with
two talented and fearless
journalists. Your leadership
and guidance has made a
group of coworkers feel like
a family.
Jena Heath and Curt Yow-
Reigning
Heartland Con-
ference Player
of the Year Ash-
ton Spears has
officially begun
his final season
at St. Edward’s,
currently av-
eraging 21.9
points and 2.4
steals per game.
Spears kicked
off Lone Star
Conference play
by scoring a
career-high 42
points against
Texas A&M
Commerce, ce-
menting him
in the SEU re-
cord books for
most points in
a game. How-
ever, for Spears
it is about much
more than him-
self: family and
spirituality are
the heart of his
game.
more than a game.
"Stuff on the court is [a]
breeze. There are real-life
problems outside the court.
The way I look at the on-
court stuff, the toughness,
compared to off the court,
doesn’t even compare. It
means a lot more than just
putting the ball in a hoop, it's
a way out. It's an opportunity
to be an example for the guys
back in my home-
town and show
them that it’s pos-
sible to make it.”
Spears said.
Spears is a
force to be reck-
oned with on the
court, letting his
flashy dunks and
3-point range
speak for them-
selves. Yet off
the court, he de-
scribes himself as
a "homebody and
kind of shy."
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Hilltop Views (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 4, 2019, newspaper, December 4, 2019; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1523496/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting St. Edward’s University.