Rebecca Walker ‘24 can usually be found striding with a smile onto campus with her orange Patagonia backpack, sporting an impeccable curation of thrifted and vintage clothes. As an avid beach lover and previous Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES) student, she partakes in testing water samples as part of the Blue Water Task Force (BWTF). In the D-Tech lab, she’ll be typing away at emails, following up with student creators on orders for local businesses and coordinating events for the academy students. As a varsity runner for Foothill Technology High School’s (Foothill Tech) cross country and track teams, she’s known as a fierce competitor and devoted teammate and has been named the Tri-Valley League Girls Cross Country “Most Valuable Runner of the Year” for 2023. With these diverse commitments have come the queries and tests of her skills and knowledge, to which she is known to answer with confidence, kindness and relentless curiosity.
On running and staying motivated:
“Running is so tremendously hard but so is life. I think in a way, running has saved me and has offered a different perspective on life. It has helped me establish resilience, self-discipline, joy for small things and confidence. When it comes to school, family life, my mental health, relationships and basically everything in life, I know that I can do hard things which allows me to embrace hardships with a strong mindset. Another important thing running has taught me is that life isn’t supposed to be linear; obstacles are inevitable but conquerable.”
“I strive to be unique and extraordinary in my sport which means I have to be willing to work harder than a lot of people, [even] on the days where my body feels messed up, I’m sore, I have no motivation [or] I’m depressed. I remind myself that I have to show up the most on these days because that’s what divides me from a lot of people. Easier said than done though. Some things I like to remind myself when I’m in the swamp [are], ‘Why not you? What limits can I take myself to? How far can I go?’”
Imparting her D-Tech wisdom:
“Explore your options! I can personally say that after being in the program for three years now, there are so many valuable skills and lessons I have learned from just allowing myself to explore. It’s okay to not know something or be a little timid to try something new, but if you come in with an open mind you might be surprised at what your mind can create. Don’t put any limits to what you can do and what you can learn. Ask questions, be curious and use your resources. ‘Youtube University’ is your best friend!”
About joining Blue Water Task Force (BWTF):
“[BWTF] aims to educate students on the local water quality concerns and offers an opportunity to contribute directly to important community information on the safety of Ventura’s beaches. We test water for an indicator bacteria called enterococci every other week on Thursdays and then get the results up on Friday. Enterococci are indicators of the presence of fecal material, usually from agricultural runoff in water and, therefore, of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria or viruses. Super harmful stuff!”
“Last year I took APES so I had the opportunity to sign up. I knew that I loved Ventura and specifically the beach and community here so it seemed right that I go for it. I wasn’t really sure of the positive impact the program had on the community and how it was going to benefit my life. This will be my second year being a part of it but this year I get to be a lab manager and help others which is super awesome.”
