Today, the Socorro Bulldogs take a bite out of the State Capitol! Here is a piece by Toni Ramirez, class of  2004, now in Medical School at Brown University on what it means to have Bulldog Pride:

Great news travels fast! Over 2,000 miles away from home, I was receiving emails, phone calls, and text messages from friends and family who were anxious to share the news: “Socorro is going to the Final Four!!” It was no surprise, though.  Born and raised in Socorro and a 2004 graduate of Socorro High, it was a known fact that Socorro always had a strong baseball team that consistently had a winning season; but, this time, they were going all the way… and they did - bringing home the 5A State Baseball Championship Title!

Coming back into town after the championship, it was incredible to see the town painted red and blue. Homes, businesses, and restaurants were congratulating the Bulldogs with an implausible sense of pride! Captivated by all the excitement, I recalled my senior school-year theme: “The Power of Pride”. We chose this theme because we truly believed that “Pride” was a critical aspect of building community within our school.  And these past few weeks have been testimony to that. Pride is a powerful intangible that brings communities together and the SHS Bulldog Baseball Team brought this great feeling to its entire hometown. The bulldog baseball tradition has created a sense of pride that spans many generations of Socorro graduates and residents.

Further, it is fair to say that the 2009 Socorro Bulldogs baseball team and Coach Forbes share this victory with past Socorro teams, but what is more exciting is its power to create even more champions. This is what I am most excited about.  Several Socorro children have been inspired by the team’s accomplishments. The Bulldogs exemplified hard work, dedication, desire, passion, and teamwork - a positive example for the community’s youth. Values such as these are destined to translate into every aspect of life and the team should be proud that their work is inspiring future Bulldogs.

Our stories are critical to our community’s history and progression. Socorro High’s 2009 Baseball Team represents a story of multiple generations of tradition and success - a story that it vital to our collection. I hope that both the players and the youth of Socorro take advantage of this victory beyond baseball and continue to place Socorro and El Paso on the map of recognition.

Congratulations Bulldogs. May you continue to make us proud!