“Lesson: Let’s see, probably never turn your back on family… family is everything, turning your back on them is not the right thing to do.”

Edwin Juarez Morales was not even born yet when his family came to the United States Of America from Guatemala. His family has not left The United States of America since they first came here.

Edwin Juarez Morales talks a little bit about where his family is from, his family’s traditions and that they came to the United States from Guatemala before he was even born. 

Edwin Juarez Morales is now 17 years old and he is in high school. He is an 11th grader which means he is a junior. He is also at a Green Dot public school and the school that he goes to is Animo Ralph Bunche High School, right next to the school Animo Jefferson Charter Middle School.

It is now in this interview where you will get once in a lifetime to hear him answer some personal questions like how his life is going, some secrets, like has he broken a heart or has his heart been broken well if you would like to find out check out the interview.  

Edwin Juarez will talk about a lot of things in this interview ,but if you want to know what happened in the whole interview please check out the audio since some stuff will be left out of the transcript. Also he will be talking about a lot of personal things like family members passing away, about his family  and more.  

Transcript:

Ivan Mendez: Umm alright Hello. My name is Ivan Mendez and what’s your name?

Edwin Juarez:

Uhh I am Edwin Juarez.

IM: Oh Thanks. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. 

EJ: Yup No problem.

IM: Alright so umm, What do you remember…What do you remember about your childhood?

EJ: Uhh…hmm so many things I can remember…uhh but mostly I just remember about how when I was younger I used to play soccer eh…and just having…having fun you know running around playing around outside.

IM: Ah…ok. What’s your favorite memory about your childhood?

EJ: Mmm… probably just playing soccer. 

IM: Do you enjoy soccer?

EJ: Ah.. yeah I enjoy it a lot. I’ve been playing since I was three so you know it’s part of my…my life.

IM: Oh ok. Would you like to pursue soccer?

EJ: Excuse me?

IM: Would you like to pursue soccer? like

EJ: Yes I would love to pursue soccer. If I have the chance to become pro I will.

IM: Mmm…very interesting. Umm…so did you like your childhood?

EJ: What did he… What?

IM: Did you like your childhood?

EJ: Yup I loved my childhood. It was fun, you know, I did all kinds of stuff with… my childhood.

IM: Umm what do you want to be when you grow up?

EJ: Uhh…hmm I have two options that I really like… one that I really want to pursue is probably be a pro soccer player but you know how that is really hard to do there is millions of kids, players around the world trying to become pro soccer players but I have a other plan if it doesn’t go as well probably become a civil engineer.

IM: Oh wow cool. What are your goals for this year?

EJ: My goals this year is probably pass my junior year of high school with all good grades, A’s.

IM: Ah ok. So do you want to get straight A’s?

EJ: Yeah!

IM: How does it feel to be a high schooler?

EJ: Nah…it feels not bad it just feels good being in high school cause I am one step closer of becoming a professional in my life, like being I think following a career going to college.

IM: Oh. Are you happy…are you excited to go to college?

EJ: Yup. I am very excited to go to college if I have the chance to.

IM: Do you look forward to graduating high school?

EJ: What Happened?

IM: Do you look forward to graduation?

EJ: Yes, I do look forward for graduating.

IM: What do you like best about yourself?

EJ: My what?

IM: What do you like best about yourself?

EJ: Mmmm… lets see mmm probably having a really good life, having really nice good family members around me.

IM: Nice Nice. What’s something people wouldn’t know about you just from looking at you?

EJ: Mmm.. lets see probably my personality, how nice I am and how I love meeting new people.

IM: Oh alright yeah that’s cool. Do you have a story about someone who has had a significant impact on your life?

EJ: Mmm probably my parents cause they keep pushing me more and more to succeed more in life. 

IM: Oh are they very hard on you? 

EJ: Uhh… No they’re really nice they just push me just to show me to try to be successful.

IM: Oh that’s cool. Umm… Do you have a story about a place that is important to you?

EJ: What happened?

IM: Do you have a story about a place that is like important to you?

EJ: Uhhh… probably a rooting start would be being in the parks playing soccer, winning trophies and getting medals. 

IM: Cool. Umm Do you have a story that says something important about you?

EJ: Mmm something important about me. Uhhh I don’t know what would be important about me. Let’s see…ahhhh…hmmm I don’t know..I don’t think there is something important about me.

IM: Or like what is something important

that you would like to share?  

EJ: What happened? 

IM: What is something important about you that you would like to share?

EJ: Mmm…probably being good at soccer! You know.

IM: Ah ok. So the lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or a time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, or what did you learn from the experience?  

EJ: Mmm lets see…see one thing I can think about is probably losing a championship in soccer. Uhh but I learned off of that to find more chemistry with my team and just put more work into it to… to try to win next season. 

IM: Oh cool. Very interesting. Would you… Would you look forward to winning more championships if you could?

EJ: Yes, I would love to win more championships cause it would be really good for me cause it would give me more opportunities for scouts to look at me and say I am a good player and they want to take me so I can become a pro.

IM: Ok Do you like the… Do you like the team you are currently in?

EJ: I am currently not in a team cause due to the pandemic you know… you know… you know all that I couldn’t play so I have to find a new team.

IM: Aww…so how did Covid affect you?

EJ: I would say bad and good at the same time cause it would be good cause it gave me more time to be with my family especially my parents but bad way would be cause I wouldn’t… I wasn’t able to go to school personally and play sports.

IM: Hmm

EJ: You know going to school was.. Wa… Wa…  is very important and it is kinda was really hard for me to learn off of a computer.

IM: Oh ok is there another important topic that has affected your life?  

EJ: Important… hmm… lets see I probably… I will just keep saying… I will probably just say you know family you know. 

IM: Oh Alright!

EJ: [Audio inaudible] Yeah they are really important and they help me out a lot.

IM: Oh ok so can you reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or an idea?

EJ: Can you repeat?

IM: Can you reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or an Idea?

EJ: A belief or an idea…lets see I really can’t come up with nothing right now.

IM: Oh ok so Can you describe a problem you have solved or a problem you would like to solve?

EJ: Uhh hmm a probably a problem I solved before like let’s say like like how I said earlier how I didn’t win a championship of soccer cause I solved I solved that problem by you know building more chemistry with teammates and working more harder with them.

IM: Mmm ok Can you discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, which marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family?

EJ: Uhhh I probably say when I started high school cause that is one step closer of becoming a actual adult.

IM: Yeah very true. Were you nervous when you entered high school? Like on your first day?

EJ: Uhh If I remember about high schools since my first day?

IM: Yeah like were you nervous?

EJ: Ummm I kinda do remember you know just seeing you know nervous cause you know that’s new high school was new to me but over time you know I got comfortable with it and you know it just grew on me.

IM: What would you like to pursue in college? Like a career?

EJ: Uhhh If I have the chance to go to college I would love to pursue becoming a civil engineer and for me when I learned what that was uhh it really caught my eye and just stuck with me.

IM: Oh why would you like to become that?

EJ: Uhh I would love to become that cause you know my my dad personally works in construction mostly A/C and off of that I you know I worked with them a couple of times and i really loved his job and seeing and investigating around uhh I saw that how engineering was a really and like lets see how would I say interesting job and you know it just caught my eye instantly. 

IM: Oh ok what was the happiest moment of your life? 

EJ: Can you repeat the question?

IM: Oh ok so what was the happiest moment of your life?

EJ: Ah I don’t have one specific happy moment in my life I have multiple but I really can’t I have I can’t name all of them right now you know just there is a lot you know.

IM: Awww ok. Ok so at the top of your head which one is the like the one that is the happiest you can think of?

EJ: Lets see I probably say uhhh all of my all of my my family gathering around you know for say a birthday party or anything like that like a family reunion.

IM: Oh ok cool. Umm what is the saddest moment of your life?

EJ: Mmmm probably losing a family member is one of the saddest memories you know.

IM: Awwww. Did that Did that affect you or no?

EJ: Oh personally yes sort of you know it have losing a family member is not good you know its gonna affect you no matter what.

IM: Yeah true Ok so who has the biggest influence on your life?

EJ: Uhhh I would say you know family again cause you know they help me a lot, they look at me and I want them to think about me like someone successful and with that knowing that pushes me more to become successful in life and following a career.

IM: So family is everything huh *laughing*. Ok so what lesson did you learn from your family?

EJ: Uhh lesson lets see probably never turn your back on family you know that’s a really important one cause you know families is everything turning your back on them is not the right thing to do. They are always with you and you have to be with them too.

IM: Wow. Some very inspirational words. Ok so how has your life been different from what you would imagine it to be?

EJ: Mmm lets see I imagined my live being way different you know I imagined to be in a very very big place like already getting chosen by scouts but you know it is what it is you know the things didn’t happen the way I imagined it but you know we could push through it and maybe if possibly it would happen.

IM: Oh ok. What made you think of that though like who was your influence to make you like think of that?         

EJ: Uhhh lets see I would say family again cause you knowing that they you know once again want to see me succeed pushes me more and just made me imagine things that I would want them to see that I did.

IM: Ok umm what is the hardest thing you have ever had to do?

EJ: Uhhmmm probably you know once again a family member passing away or you know no longer here you know.

IM: Hm What are you proudest of in your life?

EJ: What am I what?

IM: Like what is the most thing you are proud of in your life? Like the most proudest?

EJ: The most proudest?

IM: Yeah!

EJ: Proudest of my life.. Probably you know let’s see seeing my family very happy and knowing that they are really happy makes me happy and you know having family is very important.

IM: Ok why is that?

EJ: Cause you know family is everything and you don’t want to see a family member down, sad so its better to have them happy then to not have them sad.

IM: Oh ok who are your best friends?

EJ: What are my best friends? Who are?

IM: Yes, who are your best friends?

EJ: Mmm I probably say the kids from school you know the people I hangout with the most, mostly my best friends are the people who are closets which are my family members.

IM: Ok wow cool. Umm what are they like?

]EJ: My family members are really cool you know they’re nice, they’re chil,l they they’re probably the best people I will ever meet.

IM: Okay, Can you tell a story about any cultural traditions observed by your family and help us understand why they are important to you?

EJ: See you know my I personally haven’t seen any traditions from my family but I do know that my my family are Guatemalan and I know that they are they do a tradition where they fly big kites. That’s the only thing I know about their tradition.

IM: Oh ok. Is there anything that you have never told anyone but want to tell anyone now?

EJ: Mm Something I haven’t told no one? 

IM: Yeah!

EJ: Let’s see. Lets see mmm probably things that have happened to my life like personal things that I have never told no one that. You know that’s something I would love to keep. It would be like you know I rather have no one else to know.

IM: What was it like where you grew up?

EJ: Uhh When I grew up it was a very safe place and all, I had a home, loving parents, you know great family members around me that I used to have fun with, play around with you know with my nephews, my cousins. 

IM: Oh ok. If you could do everything again, what would you do differently?

EJ: Hmm personally I wouldn’t do nothing all over again cause I love my life how it is right now and I wouldn’t change a thing about it or redo it.

IM: Wow ok that is very nice! Do you have a favorite story?

EJ: Let’s see. I have multiple favorite stories you know like once again like probably one of my favorites is probably family get togethers, family reunions because I get to see everyone there and which makes me very happy.   

IM: Okay, Have you ever had your heart broken?

EJ: Uhh No. *laughs* No, I have never gotten my heart broken before.

IM: Ok let’s switch it up. Have you ever broken a heart?

EJ: Have I ever broken a heart?

IM: Yes!

EJ: I believe I haven’t but I don’t know until the person If I did it too would’ve told me you know but I don’t actually know if I did or not.

IM: Who is your favorite relative and why?

EJ: I don’t have my favorite relative. I believe all my relatives are my favorite.

IM: Are you proud of your family?

EJ: Yes I am very proud of my family

IM: Is there something about me that you have always wanted to know but have never asked?

EJ: Honestly no cause I you’re probably one of the closest relatives that I have and l like know a lot of things about you.

IM: What are your dreams for me?

EJ: Probably being successful you know just looking around you and seeing how other people become successful and they could influence you and you follow up their footsteps and just becoming a very successful person over all.

 IM: Are you proud of me?

EJ: Yes, I am very proud of you?

IM: Are there any words of wisdom you would like to pass along?

EJ: I would probably say “To never give up and just follow your dreams and don’t listen to anyone else, don’t care what they think just do you!” – Edwin Juarez Morales

IM: Thanks for taking the time for letting me interview you!

EJ: Yeah no problem man

IM: I appreciate it!

EJ: Yeah…

IM: Bye!

EJ: Bye!