Alexandra Kranian is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Seton Catholic Preparatory for AZPreps365

The moment Seton Catholic Prep head basketball coach Karen Self saw what happened to Esmeralda, instinct took over. Without waiting for the referees, she bolted onto the court, knowing right away the situation was serious, she said. 

“I literally sprinted onto the court because I just knew it wasn’t good,” Self said. “It was hard for me because I feel like she gave so much to us as a basketball program and so much to this team.”

For years, Esmeralda has led by example -- in sports, among friends, and within her family, naturally drawing people in with a smile on her face. 

“She is a great leader because of the way that she can bring people closer together, and help connect older kids with younger kids,” Self said. “She’s just fun to have around and that really does bring everybody closer together.” 

For the past decade, Esmeralda has poured her heart into athletics, constantly pushing herself to improve and master her skills. 

Adopted at 4 as an only child, Esmeralda’s mother, Mary Lanigan, immediately signed her up for sports to help her to socialize with other kids her age, Mary said. 

“That’s where her social outlet was,” Mary said. “It really helped her have structure and stability.” 

The Arizona native fell in love with swimming starting at 4 years old, learning and mastering survival skills in just four weeks out of an eight-week program. 

“I just knew she had that skill and that talent to race in the pool,” her mother said. “When I was able, I put her in Gold Medal Swim Club when she was 7, so almost 10 years ago.”

The drive behind her dedication is “just the joy of it,” Esmeralda said.

“Always showing up and trying to be better than I was last practice,” she added.

In February, Esmeralda qualified for the 100-yard breaststroke at the USA Swimming Arizona Senior State Championship for Gold Medal Swim Club.

Just four days later, everything changed during one of Seton Catholic's final basketball games of the season. She attempted to block an opponent, but as she landed, her left knee gave out under her and resulted in a torn ACL

Despite the setback, Esmeralda said she is determined to make a full recovery, dedicating herself to rehabilitation and training as she works toward returning to the sports she loves, all while planning her next chapter beyond Seton Catholic Prep. 

The basketball court and swimming pool are not the only places Esmeralda shines. She always dreamed of becomig an engineer growing up. As a little girl, she loved to help build IKEA furniture and fix things when they broke. 

“When she was 4, I had just bought this new vacuum and left it sitting in the box,” Mary said. “I went to take a phone call, and when I came back, the vacuum was all put together.” 

Since her injury, Esmeralda's passion for engineering has evolved into biomedical engineering, with a goal to create prosthetic devices. 

“I want to encourage people on that same journey by saying, 'This isn’t over yet, you can still get back up,'” Esmeralda said.

Since she was young, Esmeralda has been known for her kindness and selflessness, her mother said, constantly looking out for others, whether it’s supporting her teammates or lending a hand in everyday life. 

One day, Mary and Esmeralda pulled into a gas station to grab something to drink when she noticed a few unhoused individuals sitting nearby, her mother said. She went home, cooked a warm meal and returned to the same gas station. When the same people she saw were no longer there, she insisted they drive until they found someone in need to share it with, Mary said.

“She’s very kind, thoughtful and caring," Mary added, "and she is always looking for ways to help others."