My Story
Hi, I’m an Afro-Latino guy originally from Morgantown, West Virginia — a small college town that taught me two things early on: how to dream big and how to shovel snow. My story really took off when my mom, a one-woman powerhouse, accepted a job at the University of California–Berkeley. We packed our lives into a few boxes, drove across the country, and traded in the snow boots for surfboards. Now, my mom had one rule: “You’re going to be well-educated, well-rounded, and well-mannered — no excuses.” And, well… I took that pretty seriously. So seriously, in fact, that now I can introduce myself in three different languages (Spanish, Mandarin, and Arabic) — though I’m still working on ordering food in Mandarin without accidentally asking for twelve spoons of chili oil.When I wasn’t studying, I was making noise — the good kind — with a trumpet, piano, and drum set. I also learned how to sail and became a paddle board instructor — because apparently, I can’t resist anything involving water.To balance it all out, I worked at a bike shop, developed a mild obsession with rock climbing, and played basketball and baseball in high school. But my real passion hit the ice — literally. I joined the San Jose Jr. Sharks National Hockey Travel Team, where I learned that skating full speed into a wall builds both resilience and character. all jokes aside - this is one of my passions and not to toot my own horn, but i’m pretty good, too! Somewhere between all of that, I managed to get certified in CPR/First Aid, complete an internship in computer programming and website design — because why not add a little coding to the chaos? I also took college courses during my sophomore and junior years at Alameda Science and Technology Institute, proving that sleep is, in fact, optional.And when I do have “free time” (a rare and mythical concept), I co-run Bay Area Pet Love with my mom — a dog care and boarding business that started with one neighborhood pup and has grown into a community favorite.In short, I’m a mix of hard work, curiosity, and a little bit of controlled chaos. I may not have everything figured out yet, but I’m building a life that’s as full of purpose as it is adventure — one language, hockey game, and wagging tail at a time.
