Well as most people know, I have always loved sports, particularly basketball. Unfortunately I didn’t receive a scholarship out of high school, so I decided to attend a junior college in Weed CA ( yes that’s a funny name for a town). My hopes and dreams were to get a full ride scholarship after my two years playing ball there. I spent countless hours in the gym, and relearning the game of basketball with the help of my coach Tom Powers. I didn’t believe that anybody could love the game of basketball more than I did...until I met him, we were a perfect fit :). While putting my time into basketball, I was also making lattes and cappuccinos at a local coffee shop named “Ellie’s”. There I worked with two wonderful girls that go by the names of; Heather and Hannah. They began inviting me to sushi dates and bible studies, I felt so blessed to have them in my life.
In the mix of going to school, playing basketball, and working at a coffee shop, I found my self falling for a boy. They called him Isaac Silafau, and he’s Samoan. :) If he wasn’t smiling, then he was laughing, if he wasn’t laughing, then he was making people laugh. He was such a joyful person to be around, and Lord knew I needed someone to make me laugh and smile over the smallest things. He took me to meet his family, and I absolutely loved them. He must of had 200 family members, but every single one of them welcomed me with godly open arms. After that encounter, and learning more about his culture, I knew I could see myself with him forever. Isaac and I have happily been together for 2 years now.
Moving on, I received 1st team all league after both seasons at the Junior College. And Soon after, I got a call from a Private Baptist D2 college in West Virginia named Alderson Broaddus, they wanted me to come for a official athletic visit. I quickly booked a ticket for West Virginia and was on my traveling way. Once again the small town, and country feel was ecstatically pleasing to my eye, I immediately knew it could be my next home. I played in their open gym with the team, and afterward the coach called me into his office and offered me a full ride scholarship. My heart was pounding with joy, but I was trying very hard not to allow my emotions to reach the surface of my skin. I could not wait to leave his office and call my Dad to tell him, then follow a call to my Coach Tom Powers.
I will be majoring in “Therapeutic Recreation”, and also will be living in the dorms for the first time YAY /YIKES! I leave August 1st for college, and I will be driving my tiny car with Isaac Silafau, who will be dropped off in Alabama for his schooling and football career there. I will be blogging and taking tons of pictures throughout the travel, so check out the site :)
~ Freely Natalie
