On February 11th, a Holyoke High School Senior named Yamaya Perez accomplished, as she would say, one of her biggest milestones. Perez hit her 1,000 point milestone when she took the free-throw line late in the third quarter before the Purple Knights closed out Amherst by a score of 68-48. When she accomplished this milestone, you could hear the crowd cheering, her family, friends, teammates, and peers. They all supported her before, during, and after her big 1K.
I spoke to Yamaya Perez and asked her if she could explain to me what it felt like to hit this big milestone and some background behind her story. She said, “Hitting my 1K was one of the most emotional times in my life. It was a time in life when I hit the biggest milestone not only for myself but for my dad. I can’t put my emotions all in words yet but I’m really proud of myself and couldn’t thank my teammates, coaches, family, and friends for being here with me all throughout this journey. My dad hit his 1K a couple of years ago, and it was also against Amherst, also at home. It hit me way harder knowing our experiences were exactly the same. He’s been my coach and role model for my whole life. He’s a big part of this accomplishment. It wasn’t easy but it was successful and I’m proud of it all. I can’t wait for either of my accomplishments, not only for myself but for my teammates as well!”

In conclusion, after seeing what Yamaya had to say about her Big 1K milestone, I can truly say it was an inspiring story. Yamaya has a lot going for her right now and I know she has so much more in store for the future. She is a very successful athletic player and continues to make her loved ones proud. This was an event that I’m sure she will never forget. It is a story marked in history for not only her father but for her as well. Her name will forever live on the 1,000 point club banner in the Holyoke High North Campus Gymnasium.