I was a member of the class of 2011. During my time at Cathedral I spent most of my time playing golf since it was a year-long commitment. I attended Our Lady of Assumption for elementary and middle school. Having lived in Ciudad Juarez, Cathedral was one of the only options for me. However, ever since my middle school days, I knew I wanted to study at Cathedral.

At first my choice was driven by the amazing golf team it had at the time. My grandfather and a handful of my cousins had also graduated from Cathedral so I wanted to continue the legacy. As my first year at Cathedral ended, I realized that my priority had to be academics. I started taking EA classes my sophomore year along with a few of my classmates. Cathedral is a school that requires dedication and effort.

What I miss the most about Cathedral is the camaraderie that existed among the class of 2011. We were truly all brothers and had each other’s backs To this day, my best friends are still classmates from Cathedral.

One of my most cherished moments at Cathedral was the day I got into Brown University. My sophomore year I went to Chief Barajas’ office and asked him “how do I get into Brown? His response was, “Work for it.” The day I was accepted, I remember sitting with Mr. Flores and Chief and taking it all in. Working hard for 4 years is not an easy task, but it sure is worth it.

After Cathedral, I attended Brown University were I studied Biomedical Engineering and Greek Classics. Similar to my time at Cathedral, I chose Brown because of the openness in the curriculum. As seen from my degrees, I had a very wide range of interests. My graduation is set for May 2016 and I will be attending graduate school at UC Berkeley next year.

“What are you proudest of?”
I’m very proud of the LaSallian values that Cathedral taught me along the way. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle was not only a teacher but a servant to his community. He is a role model to every student that enters the doors at Cathedral.

“What lesson from Cathedral do you carry with you?”
Every day we entered Cathedral and the first thing we saw was “Enter to Learn. Leave to Serve”. Cathedral taught me that the work we do is not only for ourselves but for others as well. This lesson has stuck with me and all the work and research I have done is always aimed at improving people’s lives.

“Do you have a message (lesson/observation) for a current Cathedral student?”
I could write a book of the things I wish I knew while I was a student at Cathedral. However, I’ll leave you with 2 pieces of advice. First, your senior year is as critical as any other year, if not more. There are two classes in which you should truly commit to learning and retaining the material: U.S. Government and World Religions. It’ll make you a smarter and more understanding person. Second, success takes dedication from day 1. Set a list of goals from your first day at Cathedral and work towards those goals. There are times to have fun and there are times to be serious. Learn the difference.