The small town of Casa Grande is located right in the halfway mark of Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. Casa Grande was founded in 1879 and got its name from the Hohokam Indian Ruins. As of 2021, the town’s population has grown to 57,699 people and is actually the largest city in Pinal County.
Though living in a small town seems nice, it can be quite discouraging. Casa Grande is known for having an unwritten rule with those who live there. The rule states, “If you’re born here, you stay here.” Hearing this “rule” can have a negative impact on those who wish to leave one day, especially upcoming high school graduates.
The Casa Grande Union High School District is home to Casa Grande Union High School, Innovative Occupations Virtual Academy, and Vista Grande High School. At Casa Grande Union High School, there are roughly around 1,950 students enrolled from grades 9-12.
Amaya Dasti, a Casa Grande Union High School alumni has been able to prove to people that the unwritten rule can in fact, be broken.
Currently, Amaya Dasti is a student athlete at South Mountain College in Phoenix, Arizona. Dasti is a softball player for South Mountain College and is pursuing a degree in Nursing. Dasti has been playing softball since she was eight years old. However, she started playing baseball and little league at four years old.
She’s described softball as an escape from Casa Grande through the different opportunities she’s received from the sport. “Through the many teams I have played for and against, I have gained new relationships whether they are friends, coaches, sponsors, or supporters”, said Amaya Dasti.
“Once you become a student athlete at a college, you start to see other new opportunities for playing pro or even becoming a coach. Overall, the game of softball has given me many gifts, but you must respect the game to be respected mutually”, said Amaya Dasti.
Although softball is what helped Amaya Dasti get out of Casa Grande, Esperanza Rodriquez left Casa Grande by joining the military.
Currently, Cpl. Esperanza Rodriquez is in the United States Marine Corps and stationed in Southern California. Cpl. Rodriquez graduated from Vista Grande High School in 2019. While she succeeded in high school, Cpl. Rodriquez knew she needed to get out of the small town if she wanted more opportunities. In 2020, Cpl. Rodriquez received the title of a United States Marine.
“I didn’t want to be just like everyone else in Casa Grande. I knew I couldn’t stay there forever. I joined the Marine Corps, challenging myself and working hard every day. Before I left to bootcamp, I disciplined myself mentally, physically, and emotionally,” said Cpl. Rodriquez.
Cpl. Rodriquez then went on to say, “The military has been the biggest change in my life; everything is unexpected. So, being a Marine, we have to learn to adapt and overcome any obstacle and/or environment...a lot of Marines come from broken families and homes, as well as those who didn’t want to stay in their hometown either”.
Throughout her time in the Marine Corps, Cpl. Rodriquez was in Japan for six months. Going to Japan was described as one of the most amazing experiences in her life. With all the different places that Cpl. Rodriquez has seen, she says it’s a very humbling experience.
Though the town of Casa Grande has an unwritten rule, some rules are meant to be broken. Amaya Dasti and Esperanza Rodriquez are just two examples of showing how far they were willing to go to show others that it is possible to leave. “If you’re a high schooler from Casa Grande, Arizona don’t be discouraged by the unwritten rule but rather, encouraged”, Amaya Dasti.