In case you missed it, yesterday we introduced you to Marcos Montalvo. Our next scholar comes to us, from the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico. Max Frequez will be attending New Mexico Highlands University in the fall where he intends to major in Pre-engineering.
Q: If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you?
A: If a movie was made of my life, it would be about inspiring others through the eventual triumph over harsh adversities, such as losing three homes to fire and not having a car, and the ultimate fulfillment of my dreams. I think I would be played by Tom Hanks because I believe he has the deep emotional capacity necessary to portray my life in a film; he has acted in other inspiring films such as Forrest Gump.
Q: What part of society needs to be cleaned up and why?
A: Our public school system is the part of society that needs to be cleaned up because school is the foundation of our great nation. Students should be allowed to expand and explore new ways of learning instead of the traditional methods. Today, more and more schools are converting to alternative methods of teaching because they are more effective than the old ways and better capture students’ attention.
Q: What prompted you to become a leader among your peers with regard to Latino civic engagement?
A: The thing that prompted me to become a leader among my peers in regard to Latino civil engagement is education. I believe in the phrase "knowledge is power." The best way for Latinos to be successful and stand up against criticism is to get educated and accomplish our dreams. More and more of us are getting educated and maintaining our culture at the same time.
Q: Who has been the most influential person in helping you get to where you are today?
A: The most influential person in helping me get to where I am today is Juan Archuleta, my mariachi teacher. He taught me so many things about our culture that I didn't know and inspired to reach higher to achieve my goals. He was patient with me since the first day I joined mariachi and never stopped believing in me.
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of being a leader? Describe a situation where your leadership skills came in handy.
A: The most challenging aspect of being a leader is leading by example. One situation where my skills came in handy was when I was serving on student council. So many people were afraid to bring their concerns to the council so I had to show them what student council was all about, that we were just regular students like them.
Q: What are your ultimate career plans?
A: My ultimate career plans are to get a master’s degree in engineering and my doctorate in physics. I would ultimately like to work with NASA and work with new state-of-the-art technology to bring the world into the future.
Q: What advice would you give incoming high school freshmen?
A: Advice I would give to incoming freshman is "keep up your grades." Getting good grades doesn't mean that you're a nerd—it means that you're willing to do what it takes to accomplish your dreams. This is the first step.
Q: If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would you get?
A: If I could have an endless supply of food, I would have pizza from Pizza Hut or Dominos because it's awesome. Pizza is so awesome because you can put anything on it and it still tastes great. More people should be like pizza; just be yourself, no matter what labels are stuck on you, and you'll be great!
Q: If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A: If I could be any animal, I would be an eagle. Eagles can soar high above the land and see what no other animals can see; eagles have been spotted flying at altitudes of over 20,000 feet. To me, an eagle is also symbolic because it means soaring above the criticisms of others.