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Making a Difference — Community Services

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Age: 24
Job title: Deputy county administrative officer/chair for The United Way Young Leaders Society
Family: Single

Q: What motivates you in life?
A: I’ve acknowledged that I’m only here for a finite piece of time and I want to leave the world a little bit better than the way I found it. There is so much work to be done, so many injustices, suffering from hunger and poverty all over our country. The world is in need of leadership and people who care.

Q: Why is community involvement important?
A: What are we here for, if not to help one another? And we’re certainly not here to sit on the sidelines and watch the world go by on our big screen TVs. What may appear as a sacrifice in volunteering on a weekend taking one’s personal time away is in fact the greatest investment one can make in improving the quality of life for the entire community.

Q: What does your culture mean to you?
A: When I think of my Hispanic heritage, I think of my parents. They symbolize the essence of our culture — hard working people, determined to make a life better not only for themselves but for their children and future generations.

Q: Name a lasting moment that changed the course of your life.
A: It was the day that I made a contract with myself as to who I was. I am a confident, courageous, risk-taking man — it’s my mantra.

Q: Where do you want to be 10 years from now?
A: I see myself serving in a capacity where I can affect the greatest amount of change; I’m not clear whether it’s in government, at an international level or in the non-profit sector, but I am sure I will find my path.