Coos Bay, OR

As is the case for many Latino children, Alexander Garcia-Silver’s first dive into sports included a soccer ball and the impassioned scream of celebration known around the world: “GOOOOOOOL!!!” “[M]y first love was soccer,” affirms the Coos Bay, Oregon resident. He remembers how at nine years old he told his mother he had a superpower, and, when asked what it was, how he responded by opening his buttoned shirt to reveal his Colombian soccer jersey, exclaiming: “I'm Colombian! And someday I am going to win the gold medal for Colombia.”
 
In fifth grade, Alexander was scouted by the Portland Timbers development league and invited to a large tryout. He inched close to almost making the team, but was left devastated after being unfortunately cut at the very end. "What would I do if I did not play soccer?” he recalls thinking. It was then that his mom suggested a sport more suited to his talents—running.
 
Alexander started running in sixth grade and has remained a permanent fixture on cross country & track teams since. In eighth grade, after a couple of years of continuous growth and dedication, he was invited to join the Oregon all-star team that would go on to win the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championship in his age division that year.
 
Once in high school, after finding himself without a coach who could help him continue to develop his talent during his freshman year, Alexander read books on the subject, talked to runner friends, and devised his own training plan. He ran long miles and short runs and did hours of workouts all by himself, recognizing that competitive distance running requires an extraordinary level of commitment, focus, and consistency. “I realized that my superpower, after all, was my ability to stay focused, remain dedicated, and motivate myself,” he remarks.
 
This gifted athlete has accumulated successes and reaped the benefits of self-discipline and hard work over his years as a runner. In 2021, he became the South American U18 3K champion while representing Team Colombia. He is a two-time State Champion in cross country and the holder of the Oregon 4A State Meet course record. He also holds the U18 5K track record for his native Colombia.
 
Beyond being one of the most competitive distance runners in the nation, Alexander’s excellence shines in all his endeavors. This bright young Latino has proven his academic prowess throughout high school, maintaining an impeccable 4.0 GPA and ranking first in his class.
 
Alexander is no ordinary teenager. It seems he really has superpowers, after all!
 
Highly sought-after by several premier colleges in the distance running world, this outstanding student-athlete will no doubt continue his accelerated ascent in his sport. He plans to pursue an Exercise Science degree while completing a pre-health professions path with aspirations of a career in pediatric dentistry.

Los Angeles, CA

Lidia Hernandez would go to the bowling alley every Saturday morning when her dad and uncles played in a local bowling league. When Lidia, turned four she joined the “Little Rangers” bowling. Since then, Lidia, has mastered the game of bowling, and even has had the opportunity to play in several United States Bowling Congress (USBC) youth tournaments. In high school, Lidia joined her schools Track and Field team. While she originally tried sprinting and long jumping events, shot-put is where Lidia truly felt at home. She is one of the two-girls representing her high school in Shot-put at the varsity level, which means that most of her training and practices were with the boys’ team. While initially hesitant about her skills and technique, Lidia was able to advance enough to become a coach to 5 of the JV shot-putters in just one year. Due to the sport typically being male dominated, Lidia goes out of her way to befriend other female shot-putters in the area and organized training sessions together on the weekends to form a sense of community. All this hard work has paid off. Lidia won 2nd place in the Northern League preliminary finals in 2022, and fourth overall in the Northern League Finals which had 68 of the top shot putters competing.
 
Lidia is proud to be breaking stereotypes by competing in sports not usually played by Latina women as it offers those sporting communities in opportunity to see a different perspective on what constitutes an athlete in those sports. A task that she was willing to undertake after looking up to strong Latina women in her life such as her grandmother, mother and sister who showed her the value of hard work and doing so despite the cards being stacked against you. This dedication serves Lidia well outside the classroom. As National Honor Society President, one of Lidia’s proudest accomplishments was helping organize several volunteer events with Plaza De La Raza, an organization focused on uplifting the Hispanic Youth in LA. In addition, Lidia founded her very own small business at the age of 15, where she is able to spread the importance of body positivity, awareness, and inclusivity. She has had the opportunity to ship out items to 39 states and counting! Lidia is super active in
Student government and has been since the 6th grade and is currently Vice President. Besides all of those extracurriculars, outside of school Lidia volunteers curriculars, outside of school Lidia volunteers as a teacher’s assistant in a local elementary school and is a social media marketing intern for Overdue, a nonprofit organization that helps keep LA clean.
 
Lidia of Mexican and Salvadorean descent has a 3.989 GPA and hopes to attend either University of Southern California, University of California, Los Angeles, or University of Pennsylvania to study business management.

Old Westbury, NY

Old Westbury, New York resident, Dylan Hooshi, began making a name for himself and showing incredible promise as a fencer from an early age. He was an active travel team member in several sports, including soccer, basketball, and baseball, but everything changed after he tried his hand at fencing. “Fencing has been the ultimate sport for me,” explains Dylan. 
 
This young Filipino American’s fencing accolades are innumerable and are a reflection of his unwavering commitment to excellence in his sport. He is an internationally ranked fencer, showcasing exceptional talent every week as he travels throughout the country and the world to compete against the most gifted of opponents. At 12, Dylan helped his school become his county’s fencing champion. In 2017, he was the youngest varsity fencer on Long Island. At 14 and 15, while representing Team USA in Italy, he was the youngest world fencer to compete at the 2020 and 2021 Senior Grand Prix—the most anticipated and elite fencing world Olympics qualifier competition—ranking 22nd in the United States on the Senior Men's Foil Tokyo Olympics Qualifying List. Most recently, he won bronze at the Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru, defeating top international athletes from countries like Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. This summer, in recognition of his outstanding academic and athletic achievements and for his accomplishments while representing Team USA, Dylan was honored with Proclamations on behalf of the state of New York. 
 
“I have never had the pleasure of seeing an individual achieve so much in such a short period of time,” remarks Brian M. Deaner, Dylan's school counselor. “What is most fascinating about Dylan is that he is as charismatic an individual as you will ever meet but, at the same time, he is an exceptionally modest student,” he adds, sharing that, for example, not once has Dylan mentioned to him that he needed to leave school early on a Friday to travel overnight on a trip half-way across the world to compete in a fencing tournament. 
 
An academic powerhouse, and a dedicated student and independent learner, on a few occasions, Dylan has had to teach himself the course material in some of the most demanding classes offered at his school after having to miss class periods on some Mondays and Fridays because of athletic commitments during the weekend. Never complaining or asking his teachers for any special treatment, he works tirelessly to remain current with his assignments, oftentimes immersing himself in material ahead of time, so he can best prepare for upcoming classes. He never backs down from an academic challenge, no matter the demands of his international fencing schedule.
 
With his eyes set on the Olympics, this remarkable student-athlete has committed to the University of Notre Dame. He will continue his fencing career at the Division I institution known for producing the largest number of Olympic fencers. He plans on pursuing a Computer Science degree while completing a pre-med track

Bristow, VA

Being the striker on both her high schools and the St. James U19 soccer team has taught Isabella Lugo the meaning of stamina, focus and fearlessness so that she can attack the goal and score but the ability to rely and trust on her teammates to set the team for success. This mindset makes Isabella not only a great scorer, but also an even better captain, a recognition that is bestowed on her by both teams. Isabella has been able to play with the best soccer players across DC, Maryland, and Virginia but nothing beat the opportunities that Isabella has had by playing soccer in international tournaments. One meaningful tournament was the 2019 Vildbjerg Cup, which is one of Europe’s largest youth soccer tournaments and had over 715 teams competing. Isabella was part of CCL United All-star team which was the only United States team invited to the tournament. Most excitingly was that Isabella and her team not only made it to the Championship game, but Isabella was the one who kicked off to start the game in Denmark. With this same team, Isabella was able to play in the 2021Target USA Cup in Minnesota. That same year, Isabella was selected to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Olympic Development Program East Regional Tournament. So, while Isabella’s love of soccer stems from hearing her father’s stories of playing, what means the most to her is how embedded soccer is into Hispanic culture. She feels blessed to play a sport that out of all of the coaches she has had over the years have been Hispanic, including her father, which she credits for being beneficial to her self-image and mental health. If that was not enough soccer, Isabella has been the manager for her high schools’ boys’ soccer team for the last three years and will be playing Division 1 soccer at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC in the fall of 2023.
 
Isabella’s cultural pride is evident in not only her love for soccer but in the organizations in which she donates her time. During her senior internship at the Samakow Law firm, where she worked over 40 hours over the summer, Isabella was tasked with supporting the Textarudo Award Ceremony, which recognizes Hispanic leaders who advocate for the prevention of texting and driving. This event was meaningful for Isabella to support due to car accidents being the leading cause of death for young Hispanics. This internship was perfect for Isabella, who strives to be the voice for the voiceless and as an advocate for Hispanics in fighting disparities between races. With some estimates of only 2% of lawyers in the United States are Latinas, Isabella wants to use her passion for law to help change that. In addition, during her junior year, Isabella was a marketing intern and was the lead on several projects. Her supervisor commending her work as continuously going above and beyond what was asked of her, and her ability to think outside the box, a skill crucial for marketing.
 
Isabella has a perfect 4.0 GPA and plans to major in Psychology and minor in law at Gardner-Webb University.

Durham, NC

Christopher Mendez Ulloa, better known as Chris, has had a passion for soccer since he was seven years old and is always in one soccer league or another whether it is his schools’ team or various other club leagues. He is the captain of his high school’s team; being a captain is hard enough to do when you are on state championship teams, but it is even harder when you are responsible for motivating a team that does not make the playoffs. However, despite this, Chris’ soccer talent and ability does not go unnoticed, as he has been named on both the all-conference and all-region teams. In addition, on his club teams he was won numerous awards and tournaments. While his high school’s soccer team is currently out of season, Chris is still consumed with his love for soccer and has been busy organizing a charity soccer event.
 
 Chris knows that he would not be able to give that love for soccer up any time soon. Due to this, Chris has career aspirations and has already taken courses at his high school that revolve around sports and fitness and other classes he would need to take as a future Exercise Science major. So far, Chris has started the two-year IB courses in Sports Exercise and Health Science, IB Chemistry, IB Math Analysis & Approaches, Health Honors, Honors Pre-Calc where he has received all A’s. In addition, as Chris is already fluent in Spanish, he is also in advanced French courses, which will make him fluent in three languages by the time he graduates. Being tri-lingual will certainly help him as he wants to be sports trainer and understands the importance of being able to communicate in multiple languages to patients so that they feel confident in that they are being understood in not only explaining what symptoms they are having but understanding diagnosis and treatment. This compassion for others was noted by his teachers, with them stating, that Christopher’s positive attitude greatly impacts the classroom; how he is the first to comfort and encourage a peer who may be struggling with the material and is highly conscientious of his impact on others. All traits that are going to make Christopher a phenomenal trainer.
 
Giving back has been super important to Chris. He has been an extremely active member of his high school’s Key Club since his junior year when it re-opened from COVID closure. With the club, Chris has been involved in diaper drives and cleaning up local parks which he enjoys as it shows that even small gestures can have meaningful impact. Outside of the club, Chris also volunteers with his church and on Sundays he is consistently volunteering by serving breakfast to the parishioners’ and helping maintain the church gardens.

Weston, FL

Four times a week, rain or shine, you can find Weston, Florida resident, Lucas Mous, on a field hockey pitch playing what he describes as “the most incredible game ever,” field hockey. For years, this young Latino of Colombian descent has been dedicated to honing his craft, practicing for a minimum of 16 hours a week. Field hockey, he says, keeps him balanced, focused on his team, and performing at his best at all times.
 
Nearing ten years of experience under his belt, Lucas has been playing field hockey for most of his life. Since 2014, he has been serving as co-captain of the Weston Field Hockey Club and amassing an impressive number of achievements in the sport, including, and by far not limited to: contributing to Team Stars U16 becoming the 2021 Field Hockey Junior Men's National Champions, winning first place at the 2021 Cal Cup Tournament while playing for Florida United Field Hockey U16 and 2ndwhile playing for the U18 team, becoming a runner up in the  2022 Canadian Field Hockey Junior National Champion while playing with Team Ontario Field Hockey U18, and becoming an Olympic level athlete after earning a spot in Team USA Junior Men’s Field Hockey U18 earlier this year and being part of the U16 team for two years.
 
What makes this impressive athlete stand out from among other athletes of his caliber, is that as invested as he is in his sport and the success of his teams, he translates and mirrors the same commitment in all his pursuits. Lucas is not just a beast on the field; he is also a beast in the classroom, rocking a 3.88 unweighted GPA through a rigorous academic schedule while completing Cambridge University's Advanced International Certificate of Education program.

Currently, Lucas leads the Cypress Bay High School Aviation Club, serving as its vice president and also served as its treasurer, and aerial expert and has worked to inspire fellow airplane aficionados at his school to learn about aviation throughout his high school career. Dedicated to giving back, he also leads an elementary school drone club, where he shares his knowledge of drones and aviation with younger aerospace enthusiasts. He completed his Private Pilot’s license last summer and is currently working through his instrument rating, multi-engine and commercial pilot licenses as a goal for completion in 2023.
 
This exceptional student-athlete will attend Ohio State, Penn State, or Embry-Riddle University in the fall. He plans to pursue a major in Aerospace Engineering and minors in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering.

Guaynabo, PR

As a little kid, Ramon Rosado’s parents always had involved him in sports. He’s played baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, basketball, and volleyball. While initially drawn to volleyball as it was the sport his friends played, he quickly began to master the sport and wanted to make it his main focus. Ramon years of early morning practices, and sacrifices for the sport he loves has paid off in his seventeen years, Ramon has been able to play for not only his local team, a national team and able to represent Puerto Rico internationally. Just some of Ramon’s accomplishments in the last two years have included, being announced the Varsity Tournament MVP in 2021, representing Puerto Rico by being on the Puerto RicoU23 National team at the NORCECA/PANAM games in 2021, was the MVP in the USAV All Star Boys Select in Orlando, FL, MVP High School National Championship, and represented Puerto Rico in the U19 National Team PANAM Cup in 2022. All of these accomplishments Ramon is thankful for his dads love and support and his dad’s experience as an athlete showcasing the dedication required to excel in sports.
 
 Not only is Ramon a force to be reckoned with on the court, evidenced by his 6’6 stature, but what stands him out the most his presence and attitude on the court. Ramon is always maintaining a high level of play and concentration, open to feedback on how he can improve, and helps his team maintain focus even when the match is not going their way. These skillsets serve him well in encompassing his role as captain of not only his high school team, but when he was selected to be the Puerto Rico U19 National team captain as well. 
 
When not on the court Ramon is a member of the Big Brothers Club, as well as participated in every single volunteer opportunity that his school offers. On his teams’ international tournaments, Ramon has found ways that his team can find volunteer opportunities to give back to the community in that area. Other ways that Ramon has given back was at the start of Covid 19, Ramon and his sister spent most Saturday’s giving out food to those less fortunate in their area. Ramon lives by the Martha Beck quote,” Life is full of tough decisions, and nothing makes them easy”. A quote that most athletes can relate to due to the sacrifices to hone their craft but holds extra meaning for Ramon as believes athletes in Puerto Rico who may have to make do with less opportunities that are offered to their neighbors in the United States.
 
Ramon is of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Spanish descent. He plans to attend to study Sports Management at either Grand Canyon University, Concordia University, or University of Tampa.

Gilbert, AZ

Encouraged by her parents while growing up in Gilbert, Arizona, Julia Smith-Plata began her athletic exploration at an early age. She dabbled in sports including soccer, swimming, gymnastics, and cheerleading until finding a special niche in volleyball at the age of ten. For Julia, volleyball became an outlet for her talents and competitiveness.
 
Over half a decade later, through discipline and dedication, she has grown into a dominant force in her sport at Gilbert Classical Academy, and has built her legacy in her school and region as captain of her varsity volleyball team, leading her squad to becoming 2022 regional co-champions and making it all the way to state tournament. “She was not only a well-talented volleyball player, she was also a great asset to the team. She was my leading captain on and off the court,” affirms Janie Tomasek, Julia’s volleyball coach.
 
In recognition of her athletic prowess and leadership, this Mexican American earned her school’s 2022 Most Valuable Player Award, was selected as the 2022 Gilbert Classical Academy Volleyball Player of the Year, and was honored with the 2022 Volleyball All-Region Player of the Year Award.
 
Volleyball has impacted Julia and her values not only as an athlete, but also as a person. This has motivated her to serve as a role model and volleyball coach, training young girls and boys to learn the fundamentals of the sport. “[This] has given me the opportunity to help other young kids fall in love with the game, just like I did,” she remarks. 
 
Beyond athletics, this young Latina feels fortunate for having the opportunity to give back and help others through her volunteer work. Some of her most rewarding experiences making an impact include her work with ENGin—a nonprofit organization that pairs Ukrainian students with English-speaking peers for weekly virtual English tutoring sessions—and her work with ICAN—a local after school and summer program through which she has helped empower underserved and underprivileged youth in her community.
 
Julia is looking forward to attending Arizona State University where she plans on majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Psychology and playing club volleyball.

Waco, TX

Sports have been a vital part of Jagger Summa’s upbringing and have played a central role throughout his high school career. Beginning his freshman year, this Waco, Texas resident has been part of Bosqueville High School’s varsity football, powerlifting, and track & field rosters. During his freshman year, he also served as the student manager for his school’s varsity baseball team. Not stopping there, continually looking to challenge himself and grow as an athlete, this last summer, he also began training in jiu-jitsu.
 
Mike Finnell, Bosqueville’s head powerlifting coach, noted signs of excellence and promise as a powerlifter in Jagger from the start. This young Latino has since proven himself as a force in the sport. Some of his achievements include: becoming his region’s 2021 and 2022 powerlifting champion, placing third at the 2021 Texas State Championship meet, and winning the 2022 Texas State Championship for powerlifting in Division 4 in the 275 lb weight class. Jagger has set records for bench press and highest total weight lifted in his state, despite sustaining injuries and facing a few setbacks. “I didn’t look for excuses on why I couldn’t do things, but instead for opportunities on how I could improve myself,” he explains.
 
For Jagger, some of his most valuable athletic accomplishments happened during practice. “I am proud I have been able to share my knowledge with those younger than me in order to help them avoid making the same mistakes that I did when I was younger,” he shares. In football, for example, he worked with his team’s linemen after practice, showing them techniques and reviewing plays, and in powerlifting, he assisted his peers to maximize their lifts and avoid injuries by helping them perfect their form.
 
A motivated student-athlete, Jagger’s academic record boasts an impressive portfolio of honors, AP, and dual-enrollment classes. In addition to an already demanding schedule, he also holds down a part-time job.
 
Of Mexican and Swiss descent, Jagger will attend Texas A&M University, where he plans to pursue a major in Zoology while following a pre-med track.

Dexter, MI

Lily Witte is an exceptional student-athlete and is held in high regard by her peers. She has been an integral part of her swim and dive team. Her talent has taken her to regionals, then to zones, then finally to Nationals. Her dream was not just to win Nationals but to make the National team. She recalls the unforgettably surreal experience as she stepped on the top podium at her National competition. Her efforts were not left unnoticed, and she was invited to join the National USA Junior Diving Team. She feels truly honored and forever grateful to represent her country not just nationally but internationally as she has competed on three different continents. Among her achievements she is a six-time junior National champion and has numerous other achievements on a national level.
 
At just 16 years old, Lily Witte was standing on a podium with a medal around her neck as she just won bronze at the 2021 Senior National Diving Championship. In front of her was a legendary diver and her future inspiration, Hobie Billingsley. “Good job, kid” he told her. After this moment she was inspired to learn more about him. She learned about Hobie’s unique approach to coaching, using physics and science-based methods to teach other divers about the sport. It allowed her to put together her passion for sports and her love of computer science and data. She hopes to take what she learns and create new and innovative ways to develop extraordinary athletes in multiple sports by integrating computer science and data into the training, coaching, performance analytics, and overall athlete development.
 
Academically, Lily is no slouch either. She boasts an incredible 3.95 GPA and challenges herself with not only AP and IB course but also takes some college level dual enrollment classes. She is part of her National Honor Society and gives back to her community as well. For the past two summers she has volunteered to help do critical repairs on vulnerable homes in Mephis, Tennessee and coaches and mentors young divers locally. Her goal has been to improve the physical and mental health of her community.
 
Lily is of Spanish and Brazilian descent and will be attending Indiana University to study Computer Science and Sports Data Analytics with a minor in Sports Medicine.