Hustle & Heart: Andrea Najera – Setting the pace in sports, school and service
Published 2:37 am Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Andrea Najera has spent her high school years balancing the demands of varsity athletics with academics, leadership and service.
A senior at Dalton High School, Andrea competes in varsity cross country and track and has been running competitively since middle school. She was named Female Student-Athlete of the Year in sixth, seventh and eighth grades and has continued to earn student-athlete recognition at Dalton High. She was a state qualifier in cross country in 2023 and 2025.
Andrea trains six days a week while taking rigorous classes and consistently ranking among the top five students in her class.
Beyond athletics, she serves as president of HOPE (Hispanic Organization Promoting Education), vice president of public relations for DECA and executive secretary at Dalton High. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of the school’s first student-led newspaper club, the “Catamount Times.”
This past summer, Andrea represented Dalton High in Communicative Arts at the Governor’s Honors Program at Georgia Southern University. She is also a 2026 HSF Scholar and volunteers in the community, including recently helping with English classes at CLILA.
Her ability to balance athletics, academics, leadership and service reflects the commitment and determination Hustle & Heart celebrates.
Nominated by Annie Velasquez
