Alex Gonzalez

We are in his room which is pretty small, probably 12ft by 10ft. With a huge bed that takes up most of the room. He does not let anyone on his bed, I don’t know if it’s selfishness or cleanliness. He has pictures of soccer players all over the walls. There is a big stereo which is always on. Alex always has had his buzz cut since he was 13. His voice is deep, but there is still some boyish tone.

He was born and raised in San Jose, but now lives in Morgan Hill. His dad is an immigrant from Guatemala and his mother is from Mexico. It was hard in the beginning, but now we are moving up and have better jobs. Our parents used to live in a little two room apartment, my grandma, grandpa, two sons, and one daughter. They all worked hard and now have their own businesses or work for big companies. Alex’s motivation is that there people out there in far worse conditions. We are lucky with what we have.

He’s not just my cousin, he’s my best friend. We are more brothers than cousins. He taught me to be more assertive and I’ve made a lot of friends through him. Also some of the mistakes he has committed will be examples of what not to do. We are rivals, push each other to do better and stronger.

One way I could live my life like my hero is by bettering myself and being a model for other people. Everybody needs a little competition so we can move ahead. We need someone to be there to push us, but many without good models they give up and don't try. Be careful not to be obnoxious and brag about your accomplishments because that won't help anyone. While competing don't hesitate to be friendly towards each other.