I graduated from La Cate in 2010 and some activities I was involved with include the swim team, choir, National Honor Society, and one of my favorites, the morning announcements.

One reason my parents chose to give me the gift of a private, Catholic education was because my cousin Raúl H. Loya (Class of 2005) highly encouraged me to attend and had nothing but great things to say about the school; he did outstanding and ended up attending Stanford. Other reasons include the school’s prestige, the highly successful swim team, and the fact that many of my childhood friends were enrolling there.

After graduation, I attended Full Sail University in Florida where I received a Bachelor’s of Science in Film (Class of 2012) as well as a Master’s of Science in Entertainment Business (Class of 2013). I currently live in Los Angeles where I freelance as an Associate Producer in Reality TV and Documentary-style shows. Some of my credits include Married at First Sight for A&E/FYI, Texas Trocas for Discovery en Español, DeSean Jackson: Home Team for BET, La Voz Kids for Telemundo, and Real Rob, which is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

Cathedral is an institution where a plethora of opportunities are offered to you, but you can also create your own. I miss the teachers and faculty who opened doors for me, exposed me to new things, and saw my weirdness as potential. For example, I owe my love for storytelling and my honed skills in reading and writing to Ms. Peevey, my English I and English IV teacher; these are things I use every day as part of my profession. I also got to experience Ireland and Great Britain through an educational trip she organized. Cathedral was a second home where I was able to discover who I am as an individual.

“What are you proudest of?”
It makes me proud to have a career where I don’t feel like I have a job. It’s also gratifying that I get to be a part of TV shows that inform, entertain, and alter people’s emotions. I’m also one of the youngest members of the Producers Guild of America.

“What lesson from Cathedral do you carry with you?”
“Finish Strong,” the Principal back then would always say. (It’s actually my favorite quote on my yearbook profile). The phrase is so true. You need to do your best and conclude whatever it is you’re doing with that last ounce of blood, sweat, and tears. If you’re writing an essay, give it a strong climax. If you’re swimming a 200-yard backstroke, give it your all those last 50 yards. If you’re singing, sing from the top of your lungs. In the end, pain is temporary and the result lasts forever.

“Do you have a message (lesson/observation) for a current Cathedral student?”
It’s actually a quote from the bible, Matthew 7:7 (“Ask and you shall be given”). The worst that can happen is that you get a “No.” Ask, ask, ask! It goes back to what I mentioned in my bio; make your own opportunities. If it doesn’t work out with a certain person or venue, there’s always a different one.