'I'm here now': Sanchez ready to compete in state Distinguished Young Women contest

Feb. 15—Emily Sanchez always felt like she was in the shadows, hidden in the back.

"I decided one day that I don't want to be back there," the Logansport High School senior said. "I want to be in the front."

Sanchez has the opportunity to stand in front of Indiana when she competes in the statewide Distinguished Young Women competition beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Indiana University Kokomo's Havens Auditorium. Tickets are $20 for Friday's event and $25 on Saturday.

She will compete against 21 other girls from around the state who won their local Distinguished Young Women pageant. Those who advance to the top 10 will be eligible for scholarship money.

Sanchez won the Cass County pageant on Nov. 18 at Caston High School.

"I honestly didn't think I was going to win the competition but after seeing myself doing it, I'm really happy that I (competed) because it allowed me to meet so many new people and break out of my shell," she said. "I really want to advertise the program. It really just allows you to learn so much about yourself."

Sanchez was inspired to compete when her friend, Luna Tafolla, won the 2022 Cass County competition. Tafolla is now a freshman at Notre Dame.

"I was really good friends with Luna," she said. "We met through speech and I knew she was doing this program and I was like 'I'm going to do this too.' I kinda wanted to see what it was like."

Sanchez recalled being very shy as she entered high school. She said she started to branch out and try more things when she became a junior. One of those things was joining the speech team.

"Emily came to my class and speech team as a quiet, reserved and self-conscious junior in high school," recalled Jessica Kranz, English teacher and speech team coach at Logansport High School. "It has been such a joy to watch her learn to trust herself, see the beauty in her own worth and realize that she is capable of so much more than she ever thought."

"Joining speech and meeting Mrs. Kranz and her mom, (Joyce) Pasel, and (Ashley) Hayes and Chris (Miller), it really allowed me to learn more about myself because I wouldn't be able to (do this interview) right now," she said. "I wouldn't be able to talk to you like this. With them and with Luna and even Halle (VanCuran, a former speech team member and freshman at Notre Dame), I've really just grown and cheerleading has really helped a bunch, too, since you are performing in front of hundreds of people every Friday. But I really think that being out there and just putting myself out there, that's gonna help you grow as a person."

Despite her shyness, Sanchez has been cheerleading since she was in fourth grade. She stuck with the sport because she liked the uniform, the pom poms and making people in the crowd happy.

"I've met really good people through the cheerleading program," she said. "My coaches, Mary (Pomasl) and Kaleigh Wilkinson, they've challenged us a lot over the four years. If there's a sudden little change in something, I can adapt quickly to change and just cooperate with people."

Her best friend, senior Ivy Padilla, is also a member of the Logansport cheer team. He said they have been friends since the sixth grade.

"I have always thought of Emily as inspirational," said Ivy Padilla, a senior member of the Logansport cheer team. "She was always working towards bettering herself. Whether it be for DYW, speech team, cheerleading, or even just schoolwork, she never stops and she excels in everything she does. I am so proud of Emily and how far she's come. She's my reason to keep on pushing forward. She's extraordinary in every way and I cherish every moment we spend together. Although we'll be apart after high school, I can't wait to hear about her life when we meet again, because I just know her life will be grand."

During the Cass County DYW competition, Sanchez performed a cheer routine for the talent category. She's worked with Michaela Slisher, chairperson for the Cass County, Fulton County and Pulaski County DYW competitions, to enhance her routine and has turned it into what she calls a Hispanic-inspired cheerleading dance.

Sanchez said she expected she will retire from cheerleading after high school. She has her eyes set on attending IUK and studying pediatric nursing.

She made the decision based on her experience as an intern at Fairview Elementary School where she works alongside school nurse Laura Vietti as an intern.

"A little boy with autism made me realize I wanted to go into pediatric nursing," she said. "I have a soft spot for kids anyway, so just hearing their back stories and about their home life, I want to be a part of the change. I want to impact the world in that way, even if it's small."

Vietti said she saw her intern grow from hesitant to having off the charts enthusiasm for her work.

"She engages with our students, asks such good questions and has a genuine interest in the care and services that we provide for our LCSC students," she said. "She displays a maturity well beyond her age and I truly hope that she pursues a career in nursing."

Sanchez has her sights set on a possible career at Riley Hospital in Indianapolis.

Attending IUK appeals to her because she can keep her job as an interpreter at Tyson Foods, she said. When she graduates from Logansport, she will have enough credits to start college as a junior.

Sanchez put in a lot of effort, often stepping far beyond her comfort zone, to grow into a distinguished young woman.

Was it ever scary?

"Honestly, I don't think it was," she said. "It was just out of nowhere I was like 'I'm here now.' I wasn't really scared at all."