Hermosa Beach. Beautiful Beach. It is where I have spent countless hours relaxing with friends and sweating with competitors. Growing up in the nearby town of Hermosa Beach, I have an endless supply of memories from my childhood and adolescence — summer days lying on the beach, eating sauce-and-cheese sandwiches from Mickey’s, the local deli, and body surfing in the ocean. It’s easy to feel at home in Hermosa Beach because of the friendly faces running The Strand, the local surfer carrying his surfboard by at the same time every day to catch some waves, and the sight of your favorite coffee barista at the neighborhood café. Now the beach is my office — I’m a professional beach volleyball player — and although that means work, I still find undeniable joy in being at the beach. The ocean breeze, the sand beneath my toes and the feeling of being small in this world as I overlook the seemingly endless Pacific Ocean remind me to give gratitude for where my life has been and where it is going. Hermosa Beach is my special place to take a deep breath, reset and appreciate the handsome sunset the world shows us every evening.
Emily Day ’09 is a high school math tutor and a professional beach volleyball player with six AVP titles, including one earned at Hermosa Beach. A 2020 Olympic hopeful, she has represented the United States in tournaments around the world. She earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics while playing volleyball for LMU and twice was named to the First Team All-West Coast Conference Team. She was named three times to the All-West Coast Conference Academic Team.