No matter where life takes her, Portage High School (PHS) Senior Brooke Trinidad is sure to be found dancing through it all with an upbeat, positive, and sparkling attitude each and every day.
While currently the captain of the PHS Dance Team, the sport is something she just started to get involved with recently. Sports have always been a big part of Trinidad’s life; however, dance didn’t cross her mind until she was entering high school. Thanks to a bit of encouragement from her mom and Coach Jill Heldt, who equally radiated Trinidad’s positive energy, she made the decision to join at the start of her freshman year.
“My mom told me when I was going into high school that she wanted me to be a part of something. I was a gymnast growing up, and I also played softball. I went to all of the sports camps in the summer going into ninth grade here,” Trinidad said. “Something about dance just stood out to me. I love my coach's positive attitude; that made me really want to try out for dance.”
Becoming team captain with little experience was intimidating at first, but that quickly changed after her team became as tight-knit as an extended family.
“Most of the girls on the team have been dancers since they were 3 or 4 years old. Having to correct them was a bit difficult just because I'm an upbeat person; I like everyone to be happy, but they really respected me, which I love. I get called the mom whenever I have to correct someone, which is pretty cool. You have a lot of responsibilities, but it’s a lot of fun.”
The other aspect Trinidad loves about dance - is the fact that her sparkling personality is able to be represented on the floor.
“I love sparkles on the costumes, too,” Trinidad laughed.
Trinidad fell in love with dance; she continued to be involved all throughout high school. Her senior year in particular was where she truly saw the impact the sport had on her life after she was forced to take an extended break due to an injury.
“I missed dancing so much. I got hurt during my senior year, and I came back for the second basketball game,” Trinidad said. “I was out for a while, and just coming back to the rush of adrenaline and the students cheering for you was awesome - it was great to be back.”
Being that source of positivity for others also extends well beyond the dance floor. Trinidad was offered the chance to help out with PHS’ Unified Track and Field Team when her sophomore year health teacher, Todd Strom, saw just how much she was making an impact peer tutoring classmates with special needs.
“Our first year, we only had six kids with special needs and six helpers. We were one of the tiniest teams. It was our first year having a unified track team, and we got fourth place in Sectionals. It was crazy,” Trinidad said.
Joining Unified Track and Field has brought Trinidad to some of her closest friends and has given her many experiences she knows she’ll be cherishing for a lifetime.
“I love seeing people happy and helping them stay positive,” Trinidad said. “When I see them realize they can do it, it just makes my heart so happy. They’re able to compete with other athletes and not just have to sit behind. It's also cool because we are able to make all these great friendships. I have made so many close bonds with my best friends; I'll see them outside of school and go up to them and say ‘hey!’”
Her source for always having such a positive attitude and being that light for others: is her faith.
“I’m a Christian, and I always try to live like Jesus. I actually have a bracelet that says WWJD - what would Jesus do? Whenever I’m having a hard time, I always look at my wrist and ask, ‘How would Jesus handle this; how would He do it?’” Trinidad said. “Even if I'm having a bad day, I try to make other people feel good about themselves, and I always send them a prayer, too. I'll tell them, ‘Hey, I'll be praying for you tonight if you need something.’”
Trinidad saw this all come together at a basketball game where someone approached her saying something that left her with chills in the best way possible.
“After one of my dances at a basketball game, this mom came up to me; I didn't know who she was or if she had a kid on either of the teams,” Trinidad said. “She came up to me and she's like, ‘Are you a believer in Jesus Christ?’ I said yes, and she's like, ‘It really shines on you.’”
Now a senior in high school, Trinidad plans to follow her passion of helping others and spreading positivity after graduation. She’s accepted an offer to continue her education at Valparaiso University, where she’ll major in elementary education with minors in math and special education.
“I want to be an elementary education teacher because I love my students; I'm actually in a vocational class right now where I get to be a student teacher every day,” Trinidad said. “I was in a kindergarten class early this year, and I loved everything about it. Now I'm in a seventh and eighth-grade special needs math class, and I love it there, too.”
Outside of the classroom, Trinidad is an active member of her church’s youth group. Additionally, when looking to take a step back from the many adventures that each day brings, she can normally be found at the beach, one of her favorite places to spend time with family and her closest friends.