Meet Your New B&G Captain, Genesis Lopez

By Federico Rizo, Editor

June 6, 2024

Genesis before a B&G performance.

Genesis Lopez is a junior at Miami High, who was the B&G co-captain for the ’23-’24 school year and is the new captain for the ’24-’25 school year. She is also an officer of BETA and an active member of the National Honor Society.

Blue and Gold Dance Team

Genesis has had a passion for dancing since she was a baby. She shares that she would choreograph contemporary dances and perform them for family members during holidays and dinners to show off her skills and convince them to put her into dancing. She was a part of her middle school’s dance team, and she performed in showcases and holiday events.

“I decided to join B&G because I wanted to become more active in something that advocated the Sting Pride I have,” she said. She already knew how to dance so she just decided to go for the audition and got in. She also joined because “The dance team needed a lot of help, and I was up for the challenge.”

Before becoming the captain, she was the co-captain. “It has been a privilege and an honor because I got to help lead such an amazing group of girls who have been nothing but great this year,” she said. “I was also able to get close and work with an amazing advisor and captain that have done a great job with putting forth this team.”

One challenge Genesis had was balancing her personal life with being co-captain because she didn’t have a great support system. She said her family was very against her getting involved in school activities because her sister wasn’t involved, which made their lives easier. She was able to convince them to let her join clubs and then later the dance team.

“My academics will always be my main priority because that’s what will help me in the long run,” she said. “Another thing that comes as a priority is family, so having to be at school all day and then coming home exhausted going straight to homework and being too tired to spend time with family.” She said she was filled with a lot of stress being the co-captain, not from the work but rather from not fitting in.

She shared that she did feel underappreciated and like her opinion didn’t matter at times in team decisions which caused problems. “At some point that can break a person, but I am strong enough to handle it,” Genesis said.

A memory Genesis looks back on was being able to learn a dance three hours before Senior Night. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to perform the dance we had been working on for the past few weeks, so our instructor had to come up with a dance from scratch,” she said.

Some of Genesis’ hopes for next year as captain are to get B&G more involved in school activities and to not get overlooked as much as they do now. “We are very much the underdogs in the school’s performances,” she said. “I want this team’s name to be known all around and to be respected because we bleed and sweat gold and blue from all the hard work we put into our choreographies.” One major thing she hopes the team can accomplish next year is to go to activities outside of school and maybe competitions to compete against other dance teams.

B&G performing at a basketball game. (Dancers from left to right: Leisda Rodriguez, Valery Gomez, Kate Valdez, Genesis Lopez, Keitelle Quintana, Gabriela Martinez, and Isabella Villavincencio.)

Influences

Two major influences in her life are her sister Elizabeth and her boyfriend Jayden. “My older sister has always been at my side and has taught me everything I know,” she said. She’s always looked up to her because she’s a hard worker and she considers her sister her best friend and the strongest person she knows.

Jayden, her boyfriend, is another influence in Genesis’ life. “I did not expect to get a boyfriend until after I graduated. I wasn’t interested in anyone and didn’t care about love,” she said. Genesis met her boyfriend through the first practice B&G had for their Christmas showcase. They had different people audition to participate for that event and Jayden was chosen as Genesis’ partner.

After they met, she said they just instantly clicked, and he was like her last puzzle piece. “He is the most supportive person in my life who just wishes the best for me 24/7. He also taught me that being an overachiever is okay,” she said.

To Genesis, these individuals have always been influential to her, and they have helped her grow and better herself. “They help me learn from mistakes and call me out when I do something wrong. They give me advice and teach me to put myself first,” she said.

Academics and Activities

Aside from B&G, Genesis is an active member of the National Honor Society (NHS) and she is a corresponding secretary for BETA. She loves the motto that both these clubs live through. “These two clubs are super fun with their socials and services, and I have such a great time with a place that feels like home,” she said.

Some of her academic accomplishments have been surviving through her dual enrollment and AP classes. She took AP Lang, AP US History, a dual enrollment class through Brown University, and a dual enrollment class through Howard University. “I didn’t strangle myself dealing with the hard rubrics of these classes and that’s all that matters,” she said.

She says her sophomore year was her most troubling time because she was struggling with school and activities. “That’s when I joined the dance team, so I had this new addition that I wasn’t fully acclimated to,” she said. Her grades went down tremendously which impacted her GPA along with her mental health. Genesis said, “To combat this, I organized a schedule that would put my academics first which is what I used through this year, and I have succeeded.”

Genesis’ favorite high school memory is the Junior Busch Gardens trip. This is a field trip that the junior class has to Busch Gardens every single year. “I had a blast, and I couldn’t have done it without my friend group,” she said. They made it an unforgettable memory that made it feel like it was just them having the best time of their lives. “The bus ride there and back was just full of laughter that I almost died from. I will never forget it,” she said.

Personal Life

Growing up, Genesis had a pretty normal life, and she had a very supportive family. “They raised me to be a strong, independent woman who can strive on her own,” she said. Genesis describes herself as a dedicated, hard-working, and supportive person.

A major thing Genesis dealt with growing up was bullying. In school, she was a smart and kind kid which made her a target of bullying. She said, “Kids would take advantage of my kindness and try to benefit from it. They would talk badly about me.” Even though she was a big target of bullying, it helped her grow and mature into the person that she is today.

One thing that Genesis says she’d do differently is speak up for herself more. It is something she struggles with a lot because she cares more about others’ opinions rather than her emotions and feelings. “I do have to start advocating my own opinions and truths. Not everyone will like them or agree, but at least it’s how I feel,” she said.

Genesis is very passionate about her career as a lawyer. “Being a lawyer wasn’t always my first choice at a career,” she said. “I wanted to be a police officer. I always wanted a position in law enforcement because I wanted to protect and serve my community.” Her dad was against the idea of her being in law enforcement because it is a dangerous job that puts your life on the line.

After some time, she agreed with her dad and decided to find alternative options that fit her personality. Genesis hopes to pursue a career as a family lawyer. “I want to fight against the unfair and unjust because there are many victims out there that need help but rarely get justice,” she said.

The proudest moment in Genesis’ life was auditioning and joining the B&G dance team. She says it made her step out of her bubble and it allowed her to be in an environment where she was excelling at something. Genesis is now the captain of B&G. “I know I will do an excellent job at leading this team to greatness and making this year the best of B&G,” she said.