Phillie Josephine Bacon credits the discipline and drive from running competitively as the motivation both on the track and in the classroom.

“Nothing else on this earth makes me feel more beautiful and more confident,” said Bacon, who is on the Cal State San Bernardino cross country and track teams. “You really get to know yourself. You’re out there running, working hard, breathing hard, and it’s just you and your mind and you have to convince your body that ‘Nope, we want to do this, we want to go faster, this is good for us even when it doesn’t feel good.’ I love the challenge.”

It has also helped create bonds with her teammates.

“It’s awesome to have a team that has your back no matter what, no matter if you had a bad race, you’re having a bad season,” Bacon said. “You’re more than just a teammate to them. You’re a friend, you’re family. We’re all there for one another and it’s just a great community.”

Bacon, a Wrightwood native, said running for CSUSB has also helped in the classroom.

“I’m dyslexic, so technically I was in special ed all the way through high school, so academics has always been such a struggle,” Bacon said. “But I feel like I’m slowly getting there with the confidence I have on the course racing. I always used to tell myself ‘If I can run a 5K and push my body that way, I can write this essay right now.’ For me it’s helped a lot. My GPA has gone up and I feel like I’m ready to actually move into a professional field.”

Bacon plans on being a physical education and health teacher and also a coach.

“Someday when I’m a teacher, I hope to inspire my students to continue on to the next level and not just as being a student, but as an athlete as well,” Bacon said. “I can’t be more grateful for these experiences that I’ve been able to have.”

That’s part of what she loves about Cal State San Bernardino.

The college experience is “going to be tough, but it’s going to be worth it. I wear my Cal State San Bernardino stuff with pride, I wear my T-shirts with pride,” Bacon said. “I want people to know that I go to Cal State Bernardino because I’m so proud of the students around me, and my professors. I just feel like I was able to grow tremendously as a person here.”