She is a total fan of all things science.
Julien Parado wants to major in biomedical engineering one day. With a 4.1 grade-point average, she thrives in a world of numbers, too.
“Right now, I’m in AP Calculus. It’s a lot of content to learn, especially since it’s AP (advanced placement),” the Campbell junior said. “There’s about 20 of us. I think it’s the only AP Calculus (class).”
Previously, Parado enjoyed AP Computer Science. Next school year, she will dive into AP Biology and AP Statistics. Why?
Because she can. Parado’s parents, Ruben and Julie, are in the medical field — another possibility in her future. Ruben is a certified medical dosimetrist and Julie is a radiation therapist.
In the present, though, Parado is giving all she can to her teammates at Campbell, a team that is ranked No. 8 in the Star-Advertiser Girls Basketball Top 10.
Parado is a sharpshooting guard averaging 13 points per game, which leads a balanced Sabers squad. Campbell went undefeated through the Oahu Interscholastic Association West slate, then walloped Kahuku in the quarterfinal round to qualify for the upcoming Division I state championships.
It has been quite the journey for Parado and a team that was in Division II just two seasons ago. She was a freshman starter on the varsity team.
“We made it all the way to the OIA championships and lost,” Parado recalled.
Through the pandemic, she stayed busy. There were workouts with multiple club teams, including Hi Arq, a team coached by Damien’s Mark Arquero. The driveway drills were constant.
“We had beach drills and we would work out in his driveway. His daughter (Tiare Arquero) played on the team, too, and we knew her,” Parado said. “it was good because I knew all the people on the team and they were all friends, and we were getting better together. That’s when they were all online schools, so it was our time to socialize and talk to our friends.”
The Sabers hoopsters also worked out with former Campbell junior varsity coach Bryan Kaaa, now the head coach at Waipahu. There were leagues, too, indoors and out.
“Coach Bryan started up Westside. Me and a couple of Campbell girls joined and played in a bunch of leagues,” she said. “Outside, a couple of times it rained out on us. One time, the lights went out and they turned it back on.”
Basketball was more than a game. It was a light. A connection that studying doesn’t provide. It began with a basketball rim.
“My parents don’t really play, but my dad’s got some moves. We got a rim from my uncle, and my parents put me in basketball and I liked it. I was around 10,” she said. “I also tried soccer, but it was a little too hot out there. I don’t think my parents wanted to sit out in the sun all the time. When we finally got to the gym, we were inside, in the shade.”
Jazmine Corpuz played at Maui under longtime coach Gilbert Silva, then played at Hawaii Hilo. She teaches at Campbell and, in her third season as head coach, has Campbell on the verge of its first OIA girls basketball title.
“These girls surprise me every time and Julien is just so passionate. They’re building up each other,” Corpuz said. “I really think she has the potential to play at the next level. If she keeps working out and developing, getting this experience, I wouldn’t put Division I past her.”
Getting that exposure to college coaches is always a hurdle for island basketball players.
“She has the grades, the mentality, the work ethic. We just have to get her out there as far as traveling and getting into combines, clinics and tournaments,” Corpuz said. “We’re looking at one game at a time and finishing the best we can this postseason, and then on to the next.”
Parado runs the point and scores from the wing, a versatile playmaker. She also has a devotion to the game and her teammates that makes a big impact.
“She’s not much the verbal leader, but the girls feed off her. She’s one of the ones that takes the time, wants to eat, sleep and breathe basketball,” Corpuz said. “She’s come a long way. Missing a season (due to the pandemic) and trying to pick up where she left off, she’s being blessed with these teammates who can really help her.”
Campbell’s preseason losses to ‘Iolani and Damien set the tone. The Sabers have gained momentum and become sharper since, going 11-0 in league play. Once the season is over, Parado and the dedicated players will remain part of a groundswell in Leeward and Central Oahu, which has provided three of the four OIA D-I semifinal teams.
“Julien and all the girls were very dedicated,” Arquero said. “We worked out Monday through Friday and even sometimes on Saturdays. I think they all understood that we didn’t know if there would even be a season or not in Hawaii, but they needed to be ready. They definitely put in work doing lots of basketball skill drills. Shooting, conditioning. Pushed them with weights, box jumps, resistance bands.”
The workouts didn’t cease, and eventually the team formed, a loose, flexible group getting better each day.
“She does play for other clubs, but she was definitely part of the initial roster and vision of our club,” Arquero said. “She’ll always be considered one of the original members of Hi Arq.”
So far, Parado has traveled twice for basketball. Once was with Westside last summer. Before that, she traveled with Westside Shockers as the only girl on an all-boys team when she was 10.
“(The tournament) didn’t allow me to play, but we went anyway for Disney World,” Parado recalled. “But it was good to watch them play.”
JULIEN PARADO’S FAVORITES
>> Show: “You”. “I’m on the last episode of the season. It’s like a mystery, but also like a romance. This guy seems like he would do anything for love, even killing someone.”
>> Food: Gen Korean BBQ. “It’s so good. You get to cook it yourself on the grill.”
>> Raising Cane’s vs. Chik-fil-A: “I’m excited they’re opening (Chik-fil-A) in Kapolei. I like the original sauce and the Polynesian sauce.”
>> Music artists: Ariana Grande, Daniel Caesar and H.E.R.
>> Athlete: Stephen Curry. “I see his highlights on IG and making these crazy shots and finishes. How does he do that? He’s creative and finishes well around the basket, and gets his teammates involved.”
>> Class: Summer school P.E.
>> Teachers: Ms. Cacace (STEM, coding), Ewa Makai Middle School, and Ms. Yoshihara (human physiology), Campbell High School
>> New life skills: Driving and cooking. “My road test is in March. I’m learning mostly from my siblings.”
>> Teammate most likely to coach one day: “Hayley (Moore) and Caitlyn (Hosaka). I think just being good with kids, I just feel like they would be good coaching and explaining things to others.”
