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Georgia-born Sunil Smith has made his mark in Salinas — on and off the football field. He began his coaching career at Alisal High School by transforming a dismal program into an annual contender. An Educational Specialist at Alisal High School for 16 years, he is currently on faculty in the Physical Education/Kinesiology Department at AHS. He also works as a resource specialist at El Puente School, and is active in community service.

Richard Cabrera found the idea of putting college into the minds of migrant kids invigorating, so he built his career in education around it. A migrant student himself, the Salinas native once turned down a bilingual teaching position in Los Angeles to inspire others in his hometown, shaping the next generation of students throughout the Alisal Union School District.

Raised by a single mother in crime-ridden Inglewood before moving to East Salinas at age 6, Ollie Lowe believes in creating a brighter future for today’s youth. A successful businessman as founder of Lowe Packaging Group in Salinas, Lowe runs the annual Operation Give Back Toy Drive. The group’s vision is to inspire people to be leaders in giving back, planting a seed of hope, self-worth, and inspiration to a child living in adversity.

One of the most decorated coaches in Central Coast history, Art Berlanga (known simply as “Coach B”) lays out his philosophy on life and how to empower people in the best-selling book “The Impact of Influence.”

Turning his passion for sports into a career as an entrepreneur, Nick Witherill is the founder and owner of Biñho, an interactive board game inspired by soccer. Currently a one-man show, Witherill is in charge of marketing, manufacturing, product design, supply chain, fulfillment, branding, multichannel retailing, sales, social media, website design, and development. A basketball star for Grand Canyon University, Witherill ended his senior season in 2011 as the team’s second highest scorer at 9.5 points per game. A finance major, Witherill developed Biñho in 2019 as both a game and a lifestyle brand.

As a woman in the male-dominated world of sports broadcasting, Griselda Ramirez reached great heights in her professional career. Born in Salinas to Mexican parents, Ramirez graduated from Alisal High and Santa Clara University before earning a Master’s from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. At ESPN, Griselda worked on several features in both English and Spanish, earning a Sports Emmy in 2016. She also earned a 2019 Imagen Award for her work in the ESPN short-form nonfiction piece, “SC Featured — A Dreamer’s Path,” profiling promising Salinas golfer and DACA recipient Jose Calderón.

A native of Pomona, Stanford men’s basketball assistant coach Jesse Pruitt has lived in the Bay Area the last 10 years. Prior to his arrival on The Farm, he served eight seasons on the staff at Santa Clara, where the team saw success on the court and in the classroom. During his tenure, all 19 players who reached their senior season earned degrees and the men’s basketball program had a 100 percent graduation rate. Pruitt graduated from UC Davis in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He was a member of the Aggies’ men’s basketball team for two seasons.

Only a junior at Stanford, Haley Jones has already had a stellar career. And her star continues to rise. A 2019 graduate of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, the Santa Cruz native was rated the No. 1 player in the country according to both ESPN HoopGurlz and Prospects Nation. She became the first No. 1 prospect to sign with Stanford since Chiney Ogwumike came to The Farm as the top player in the country in November 2009. As a senior at Mitty, Jones averaged 26.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.8 blocks per game, leading the Monarchs (25-3) to their fourth consecutive CCS title. Her sophomore season at Stanford ended with an NCAA championship, a Final Four MVP award, and great anticipation for what lies ahead.

Domingo and Lucila Pizarro immigrated from Durango, Mexico, so their children could have a better life. With values and vision instilled in him by his parents, Ruben Pizarro has done them proud. Turning to higher education to ensure his future, Pizarro earned a degree in sociology at UC Santa Barbara before graduating from Santa Clara Law School. Today he runs the Salinas Valley Dream Academy, helping young people seek a better future.

Jarod Haase’s life is built around basketball. Following one season playing for rival California in 1992-’93, the South Lake Tahoe native transferred to Kansas, where he starred in the powerhouse program. In 1997 he became the Jayhawks’ Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and later earned a master’s degree in business at Kansas in 2000. In five seasons as coach at Stanford, Haase has led the Cardinal to 82 wins.

Understanding and promoting the value of sports in society, Justin Clymo serves as director of athletics, world religions teacher, dorm head and boys basketball coach at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach. He also broadcasts his own podcast “Why Sports?” that highlights athletics and being part of a team as foundations for any career path.

Holding every meaningful hoop record for her alma mater Clovis West High, Maddie Campbell overcame a series back injury to earn her way into the USC women’s basketball lineup. The psychology major would like to pursue a master’s degree and eventually pursue a career that involves working with children.