“Diego is a very bright young man, 多才多艺的, 一个好学生, 熟练的运动员, entrepreneurial and an excellent communicator,” says provost Peter Senkbeil, who has become an informal mentor to him.
迭戈在吉尔伯特长大, 亚利桑那州, 在一个“非常秘鲁的家庭”, blasting Hispanic music all the time, with lots of family parties and festivities,迭戈说. “My mom would make dishes for us while the music played. She was always proud of who we were but also grateful for where we were, in the U.S.”
Spanish was the primary language of the house, though Diego and his sister always spoke to each other in English. Peruvian culture, he says, is family-oriented and physically affectionate.
“Our family gives hugs and kisses you on the cheek and cuddles with you,迭戈说. “That’s the sort of love you show.”
They were also strongly aspirational, and both Diego and his sister 游 competitively in high school. Though Diego describes himself as a “chubby little kid” his first year of high school, he had a knack for swimming the 500 freestyle.
“I had good endurance,他说. “My coach was astounded that such a chubby kid had such endurance.”
He soon broke school records in the 500 free (by 30 seconds) and in three other events, 包括两个继电器. He made state finals two years in a row. A friend who had attended 欧文康考迪亚大学 encouraged him to look into it, and a campus visit and open invitation from the swim coach sold him on Irvine.
“I loved the school,迭戈说. “It was different from all the other ambiences I’ve been in. It gave me a sense of peace and purpose. Irvine has high opportunity, a lot of great companies and chances to connect with good people. 这里太棒了.”
The first in his immediate family to attend college in the United States, 他立刻参与了进来, declaring a major in business and a minor in biology, and working in campus human resources as a student worker, 参加暑期工作, 教别人数学, and serving as an RA to ease the financial strain on his family.
“The university puts opportunities there for anyone to grasp and I’ve tried to take all of them as best I could.
He also volunteered for a year at the OC Rescue Mission, made the dean’s list every year and, 当然, 游.
“The University puts opportunities there for anyone to grasp and I’ve tried to take all of them as best I could,他说.
One opportunity paid off bigger than most. Diego and a fellow student entered the annual Cornelius Business Plan competition with an idea for a smart watch for babies which functions as a digital nanny, informing parents if the watch gets wet, or goes beyond a certain radius, and keeping track of vital signs and GPS location.
“We presented it to a panel of judges just for the experience, and the next thing you know they said we had won first place,迭戈说. “我们很震惊。.”
The duo shared the $3,000 prize.
Diego also received a scholarship from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, an independent entity which gives awards and opportunities to students who represent the Hispanic community well. Because of the mentoring relationship he had developed with Dr. Senkbeil, Diego invited him to attend the awards banquet with him and Diego’s girlfriend.
“Dr. Senkbeil and I talk a lot and I see him as someone I can strive to follow,迭戈说. “I can talk to him about anything. We share similar values and the same views on things. He’s been very supportive of me in my academic journey.”
As for the scholarship, “I was excited. It was a good surprise,迭戈说. He has also received 欧文康考迪亚大学’s alumni scholarship and the first-team all-academic athletes award from the Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving conference.
在美国蓬勃发展的同时.S., Diego hopes to instill Peruvian culture into his children as well, by speaking Spanish in the household and traveling to the country regularly.
“I want them to know where part of them came from,他说. “Even though I grew up in a low-income household, I was luckier than most because my parents love me so much and cared for me, 我一直都有这种感觉. We didn’t really travel but we would always have a family party or I would hang out with my cousins. I wouldn’t trade where I came from and who I am. It gave me a lot of adversity and I don’t think I would be as strong today as I would be without it.”