Q: You’re wearing your letterman jacket today and it looks like you’ve earned varsity letters in a couple of sports.
A: Yes, football and wrestling. I started playing football in sixth grade and wrestling in seventh. Watching football on TV got me interested, and wrestling was one of those things to keep me busy and then I started liking it more. My family is really into football.
Q: Professional or college football?
A: We watch both. The Seahawks, Air Force, Army, Brigham Young University and the (University of Washington) Huskies.
Q: Did you have a leadership role on your school’s football team this past season?
A: I was co-captain for a couple of games. One of our traditions is the day before a game we always have a team dinner and all the captains for that week go up and give a little pregame speech, so it’s pretty cool.
Q: Do you have goals for your wrestling season?
A: I’m hoping to place in state. I almost made it to state last year. I placed fifth at regionals, but you had to place fourth in order to get to state.
Q: What other school activities are you part of?
A: Honor Society, ASB (Associated Student Body) president, Knowledge Bowl team.
Q: Have you been part of ASB throughout your high school years?
A: No, this is my first year in an actual position. It’s a lot of work around student council meetings and setting the agenda, but it’s cool to hear what people want in the school and being able to hear their ideas and help them voice it. From the first meeting we had the representatives go back to their classrooms and bring us ideas at the next meeting for what they wanted to have to improve in their time here. We formed committees so that we can get those things changed. One thing that they wanted was an open campus, so we made a committee. Music at lunch is another thing that they wanted.
Q: I was told you’re also part of the school band?
A: I switched from electric bass to baritone in the eighth grade, and then I played through last year, and then this year my schedule wouldn’t let me take band. I was really mad about that, but I talked to the band director and he said that it would be fine if I went and played with them at basketball games.
Q: What would you like to accomplish this year as a school leader?
A: I just want to see more people enjoying being here at school and feeling safe and accepted by everyone and participating in all our activities, because in high school you get what you put into it, and if you get involved, you’re going to have a great time.
Q: You’re also involved in your church group. Tell me about that.
A: We have youth activities. The other night we had missionaries come and talk to us about missionary work. That’s one of my goals, to eventually serve a mission. With Mormon missions we share the gospel of our church to everyone. They just changed it this year where men who are 18 and graduated from high school can go, but I want to go to college for a couple of years first and so I won’t go until I’m 21.
Q: Where are you thinking of going to college?
A: West Point, Air Force Academy or Brigham Young University.
Q: Do you have family in the military?
A: My grandpa served 30 years in the Air Force, and my uncle served in the Marines. Ever since I was in the third grade I’ve been reading books about the military and just have always been interested and always wanted to do it.
Q: Would you like the military to be your career?
A: I’m thinking I might make it my career, and then whenever it is that I’m done I’ll do something in engineering. It depends because this year I’m taking an anatomy class, and I realized I actually really like that. I’ve never really looked into having a career in health, but after this year I’m considering it. I like the study of muscles and the brain. It’s just fascinating.
Q: Do you have siblings?
A: I have two sisters and one brother. My oldest sister is going to college at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, my little sister is a sophomore here, and my little brother is in the eighth grade. My parents raised us to be really close. They just really wanted us to have a strong family. One thing my dad always says is, “Friends come and go, but family is forever.”
Q: Does your family have any Christmas traditions?
A: I love Christmas. At one of my grandmas’ houses we have a white elephant gift exchange, and my other side of the family has this giant feast and we open presents after. That side of the family is Filipino, and it’s just all good food, and it’s different every year. On Christmas Eve we stay up all night, and we just wake up late on Christmas Day.
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