CLASS OF 2021

Featuring Trey Sanchez

Remarkable! Resilient! Revolutionary!

My name is Trey Sanchez I am 18 years old and I am a new John Burroughs High School Alumnus.

What are your favorite sports and how does playing them impact your life?
I played many sports growing up, but the one that stuck with me into high school was soccer. My older sister, Veronica, played soccer and I was always around to see her play. That inspired me. As a freshman, I started on the JV team and was asked to play in multiple varsity games. I was selected by the coaching staff to attend all of the freshman soccer games to support the team’s efforts. I also served as the team’s student treasurer.

When I was 10 years old, my mom wanted to learn a new skill, so she chose golf and I learned to play with her. I had some friends that were golfers already, which helped me find a passion for the sport.  I joined a junior golf league at DeBell Golf Club. I learned to play a very individual sport in a team environment and became a DeBell Summer Youth Camp Counselor. In high school, I am a 4-year participant (Letterman) as a varsity player on the Men’s Golf Team and received the 2019 Academic Achievement/Outstanding Student Athlete Award during my sophomore year.

Golf is a sport that requires mental and physical discipline.  Those skills have a day-to-day application in life. Golf has also exposed me to many different experiences. I have been fortunate to play golf in Scotland, Hawaii, and throughout Southern California.


Describe your first experience with the arts while in the Burbank Unified Schools.
I attended Roosevelt Elementary where I was exposed to the arts during the annual Variety Show.  I was able to perform with my best friends and learn music and dance routines.  It was a great experience and preparation to my continued involvement with show choir in middle school and high school.


What advice do you have for younger students?
There are two things that I would share with younger students. The first thing is that you should engage.  Get involved and try new things.  You will inevitably learn new skills and meet new people. Those experiences are invaluable to your personal development.  The second thing is that you should remember that it is acceptable to make mistakes.  It is best to approach life like golf in a way.  Often times, you end up making a bad shot.  What really matters is what you do on the next shot.  Reflect on what happened, think about the basics, and make the swing.


What is the most important thing you’ve learned during the pivotal, history-making pandemic?
My high school career has been a complete experience. I have participated in academics, athletics, and the arts at the highest levels available.  I have done my best to balance a wide variety of activities, develop leadership skills, and build strong relationships with my classmates and teachers. However, nothing could have prepared me for the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. During this challenging time, I have learned how important it is to be connected to people.  The loss of “campus life” as well as losing the ability to play team sports and perform in a group setting has been one of my biggest struggles during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, I took for granted those aspects of school.  The many hours put into endless rehearsals always felt like a drag in the moment, but one can never get those moments back. I now appreciate every minute we spent onstage.

I decided to turn adversity into an opportunity to learn more about the effects the pandemic has had on students’ mental health and chose that topic as my senior research project in my English class. I investigated different learning models that have been employed during the Global Pandemic and their effects on mental health. Enduring the school year in a distance learning model has affected everyone in different ways. I have had my own challenges in dealing with the isolation and remote learning model. Many of the experts believe that the prolonged social isolation may have lasting effects on students. Considering the potential issues with mental illness, there will be an increased need for resources and energy applied to this problem. A return to the way school was pre-pandemic may not be possible. I am hopeful that education professionals will be able to utilize new methods and that they gain experience in helping students and faculty adjust to the “new normal” school environment.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you expect the arts and/or sciences to continue to play a role in your life and if so, how?
In 10 years, I see myself in Southern California.  I believe I will be doing something entrepreneurial.  I enjoy music and science and I am confident they will be a big part of my life, but I cannot say exactly how at this point.  I am going into my college years with an open mind.

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