Senior Spotlight: Jessie Ototivo

Walters Lady Blue Devil and second-baseman on the Walters High School softball team, Jessie Ototivo, said one of her accomplishments is a boost in confidence from last year since becoming a senior, and one of the highlights is being with teammates.

“Having that sisterhood all the time and just being a team and having someone right beside you and like my coach says, Coach Mason, she's like we get to play softball. Some people can't and we get to, especially on a sunny day and beautiful day.”

In the future, Ototivo plans on attending a junior college.

“To play some sports like softball and basketball,” she said. “I don't know which one yet. I'm still you know just deciding and everything and I'll probably just go for probably the IV nurse or a physical therapist, either one.”

Ototivo has her CNA from Red River Technology Center and is working on her medical basics, including learning to draw blood.

Ototivo also plays post and small forward in basketball.

“In basketball, I'm more aggressive and I just love…being around…all the energy and everything and like right now we have a new coach, Coach Gates,” she said. “We're gonna have an amazing season this year I feel like because we're pretty a quick team. We don't have size but we're a pretty quick team this year and in softball, I feel like it's more calmer and I don't know it's just more calm for me.”

Ototivo said in both sports, players get hyped.

“Especially someone makes a good hit like or a home run or when someone…slides to steal that's like amazing energy, but in basketball, I feel like that's like way more hype,” she said. “And anything like when you make a three-point that just feels amazing just like you how you make a home run.”

Ototivo also runs the 100, 200 and one mile in track.

“It was really my dad. He mainly encouraged me to do it,” she said. “Just like, ‘Hey, try it one year and see how you like it’ and I tried it I was like, ‘Okay, I actually like this; it's not that bad.’

Ototivo said it’s hard to leave her team.

“It sucks leaving to be honest,” she said. “I really love playing with my teammates and being around them all the time and how…they encourage me to do anything and how I don't know, just sisterhood. I just love it and how my teammates are.”

Ototivo stays connected to her Comanche heritage by attending meetings, keeping up with everything, going to powwow, and doing some beadwork with her grandmother and stepmom. She wants to be involved in everything and learn as much as possible about her culture.