Mazi Smith, a Pampa High School senior, has been given a clear path to a bright future, but not without a ton of hard work on her part.
Mazi’s friends and family celebrated her achievements on Wednesday as she signed up to attend the University of the Pacific on a full-ride scholarship in California for four years.
“We’re just so proud of her,” Mazi’s grandmother, Patti Williams said. “She’s worked so hard to get to this point, she’s just amazing.”
Mazi has played club volleyball for seven years as well as for Pampa for several years during that time. She had the opportunity to travel all over the United States coast to coast, playing on teams with girls from all over.
Honing in on her skills throughout the years, Mazi has made quite the name for herself here and abroad, garnering the attention of a university in California. While Mazi has just a few more months until she graduates PHS, to know that she will soon be moving halfway across the country is bittersweet for her and her closest friends and family, but believes she will adapt fairly well considering she had visited California during club ball tournaments.
“Whenever I went over there, everyone that we saw there was just so nice and there’s a lot of farmland there, so it’s almost like home. I’ll be about 45 minutes away from Sacramento up in Northern California. There’s just a bunch of nice people there.”
While many new graduates take a bit of time off to enjoy their ‘freedom’ from previous scholastic obligations, Mazi will flow with the hustle and bustle of college, immediately making her way west.
Two weeks after she graduates, Mazi will report to the University of the Pacific where she will be there for five weeks, come home for two weeks and then head back until Thanksgiving break.
Her journey will continue through school as she plans to further her studies to become a physician’s assistant, and from there, Mazi is unsure of what her future holds, but is beyond excited to see what’s in store.
“I am very excited, this has been the best day of my life so far honestly,” Mazi said. “I never thought this would be possible and this would be my reality. It definitely feels like a daydream.”
“I would like to thank everyone that supported me and followed me on my journey, it’s meant so much to me.”
