Editors Note: Student Stories is a project designed to showcase stories, events, clubs, and opinions authored by students in Santa Cruz County. This is offered through our Lookout in the Classroom program where students receive free access to all of our content as well as workshops and curriculum for local educators. Learn more here.
Hi, I’m Charlee Rose Beck. I’m 14 years old and proud to be part of the Santa Cruz community. I love water polo, junior lifeguards (Go City!), basketball, art and açaí bowls. I went to Happy Valley Elementary School, where our teachers taught us about something called a growth mindset. It means being OK with not getting things right the first time, staying curious, and treating every challenge as a chance to learn. I didn’t realize back then how much that lesson would shape how I do everything now — from solving tough math problems to competing for a spot on the national water polo team.
This past year has stretched me more than ever. I’ve been lucky to train with some of the best coaches and players in the country — including UC Berkeley water polo star and Santa Cruz legend Shea Salvino. I even got to scrimmage against her. I’ve worked hard with my coaches at Santa Cruz Water Polo and went through multiple rounds of intense Team USA tryouts and camps. It wasn’t always easy — I made plenty of mistakes — but I kept showing up, didn’t give up, stayed curious, and kept learning.
Sometimes I felt behind, especially when learning new skills. But I reminded myself: Growth is the goal, not being perfect. Being honest about where I need to improve has helped me grow faster — and that mindset is a big part of why I’ve been chosen as one of 15 athletes to represent Team USA at the Under-15 Pan American Water Polo Championships in Brazil this September.
This opportunity means everything to me. I’m so excited, and I take it very seriously. You never know how many chances you’ll get to do something like this, so I’m giving it everything I’ve got. I also want to be the kind of role model that Shea and other athletes have been for me — especially for the younger girls in our Santa Cruz community who are just getting started in sports.
Because Team USA isn’t funded, each athlete has to raise $3,000 to compete. If you feel inspired to support a local girl chasing big dreams (and even bigger growth), I would be so thankful. You can click here to donate.
Thank you for reading — and thank you for believing in what’s possible when you show up, try hard, and keep growing.
Charlee Rose Beck is a student at Soquel High School