Pride and Persistence

What are we fighting for if not each other?

After a roller coaster of ups and downs last year, Aiden Rothe starts sophomore year on a high. After all, he’s dating the boy of his dreams. What else matters? But Aiden’s hopes for a drama-free school year are thrown aside when a new student captures everyone’s attention: Michelle, an incredibly athletic, transgender black belt.

Fearing a repeat of last year’s bullying, Aiden’s karate club reaches out to Michelle, hoping to recruit her. To their surprise, she already has a team. Michelle is training with local police Captain Decker at his MMA studio, the epicenter of LGBTQ+ hatred in and around Washington High. Soon after, Decker and his notorious partner, Washington High Wrestling Coach Krake, announce a new tournament with a $25k college scholarship as the grand prize. For some, like Mateo, it’s a crucial opportunity—he lost his scholarship chances when he came out and quit the wrestling team the year before.

Can the true meaning of martial arts heal the divisions in this town, or will fighting only make things worse? A rousing story of love versus hate, where hidden truths and life-altering decisions lay behind every corner, Pride and Persistence celebrates the indomitable spirit within us all—the fighter that refuses to stay down, no matter how many times one falls.