SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Former Mount Miguel High School track and field athlete Laulaga Tausaga recently returned to campus for a celebration.
"Oh my god, it's so amazing," said Tsaunga, the former Matadors discus thrower, when she saw the spectacular mural of herself on campus.
"I'm not used to seeing my picture anywhere, you know," said Tausaga. "I kind of feel like a celebrity. I'm like, do I want to be a celebrity up there."
The mural is well deserved, as it recognizes the discus gold medal won at the Track and Field World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
"There [were] a lot of interviewers who were saying she shocked the world. I'm like, I shocked myself," Tsaunga said. "I wasn't expecting myself to be at the top of that podium. However, I was hoping to be on it for sure. I just wasn't expecting that top spot."
Tsaunga says her road to the world championships all started at Mount Miguel, for which she is very thankful.
"We have a lot of talent at Mount Miguel, from our academics to our athletics. I think this is a big one for us and not just for me," Tsaunga said. "It's to let us know that we are out here and that Spring Valley is now on the map."
She returned to campus not only to celebrate a mural but also to deliver a message to current students.
"Be more involved, you know," Tsaunga said. "I can either go here, or I can go there. It isn't just a one-stop shot. It isn't just high school, and then we don't know. I say have an open mind toward your educators, your counselor, and your principal, all of them."
