Seniors plan for the future

I t's a dream thousands of young Diné student athletes hope to make true.

It's the dream a million more high school student athletes hope to fulfill by playing college athletics, specifically college basketball.

But here in the Four Corners, a select few student-athletes want something more, something different.

First is Wingate boys basketball and football standout Markus Hosteen.

Hosteen led the team to a state tournament appearance but the team lost in the first round.

He hopes to go from saving basketballs from going out of bounds to saving lives of people in danger by becoming a New Mexico State Police officer.

"I'm not going to college after high school," Hosteen said. "I'm going to become a police officer."

Going to college and playing college ball was actually his first choice.

But something got in the way.

"I did (want to) but during football when colleges kept writing to me I couldn't keep up with my academics," he said.

So saving lives was his second choice.

With a fondness for protecting and serving, Hosteen said he's excited to jump into his chosen career choice.

"I like to watch cops and it just seems like fun to be a police officer," Hosteen said.

Next is Monument Valley's Aaron Armendez.

Armendez is a veteran on the team. He led the Mustangs to the first round of the Arizona state basketball championships but couldn't get the team past the first round.

Armendez would like to play basketball at a community college, preferably Coconino Community College in Flagstaff or Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colo.

But he'll only play if the school wants him to, otherwise he wants to study history.

"I like learning about different time periods," Armendez said. "I'm nervous and excited."

Armendez said he's proud of the accomplishments he's made while playing on the basketball team for four years and if he were destined to play college basketball he'd be grateful.

"Making it to the first round of state, playing even though we didn't make it far," Armendez said. "(Playing college basketball), if it happened it happened."

Armendez said he isn't sure what he wants to do while studying history but could become a historian.

As for Navajo Prep standout and state champion Nicole Crisp, college basketball is a definite part of her post-high school plans.

Crisp has been given offers from Mesa Community College in Mesa, Ariz., Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale, Ariz., and a community college in California.

With three offers in hand Crisp said she has yet to decide.

"I know college is going to be a whole 'nother story," Crisp said. "I'm really excited to play, hopefully."

Taking a slightly different path from her older sister and volleyball and basketball head coach Rainy Crisp, Nicole has decided to start at the junior college level and work her way up to a Division 1 school.

"We've talked about it," Nicole Crisp said. "I just want to start small."

Crisp has also applied to Cal State University in Long Beach, Calif., and Baylor University in Texas.

Window Rock standout Brandon Lee has applied to the University of New Mexico to study something far from basketball, let alone sports.

"I'm going to be majoring in chemical engineering or civil engineering," Lee said. "I chose that because it was a field that could be counted on later in the future."

Coming from a strong basketball team and program Lee said his concentration will be strictly on academics and he has no plans to play college basketball.

"I just never believed I had talent to play college ball," Lee said. "I just wanted to play for fun."

That he did and he made some big team accomplishments along the way.

Lee said his choice to stick to academics had little to do with his passion for basketball.

"I started playing when I was three years old," Lee said. "I just fell in love with it."

Though only four students are mentioned here with their post-high school plans, there are many more who have college on their mind.

As for the aspiring state police officer, possible historian, WNBA prospect and engineer in the making, they are making their own dreams come true.

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