Q&A With Brandon Felix (SHP ’21)

 

Brandon Felix (SHP ’21): I don’t say this to try to please everyone, but I genuinely love every subject. I love math, first and foremost, because there is a logical approach to it…There is a right answer, yet it is also more complex because there are several ways of getting to the right destination. There is flexibility, but at the end of the day, there is also the right answer, and that’s very reassuring when the numbers are not working for you personally. English is single handedly the most important, and that definitely gives it points in regard to [being one of] my favorites. It is undeniable that expression and communication are paramount, and I have always [enjoyed reading] books. Science is just experimentation and interpreting facts. I love Spanish because it taps into my other cultural and identity half—it’s inexplicable when I am in that class. It feels like home, and I can be confident and proud of who I am and [my] potential. History and social science are amazing because it allows me to analyze trends, uncover fundamental truths [through] political science, and see the complexities in something so seemingly simple as a power struggle. I look forward to every one of these, but math, English, social science, and Spanish are up there.

 

 

For hobbies, I play, practice, and study soccer. I find [the sport to be] the epitome of a growth mindset. Sure, one gets better, but there is always something to build off of or experiment with. Soccer holds a very special place in my heart because it’s central to Mexican culture and is in the Venn diagram of my family’s collective interests. 

 

It was a special part of my sophomore year when I played junior varsity boys’ soccer for SHP. I was not the best, but I was good and had a decent amount of experience playing with friends before. Now, I apply this experience and training every day, whether for practice or a game. 

 

Cooking [is one of my] special interests and favorite pastimes. I feel that one undeniably positive thing that came out of being raised by females—my mom, aunt, and maternal grandmother—is knowing, and actively improving, my cooking craft. I love to cook, and it’s one of the few things I know for a fact that I have under my belt... I help my mom cook every day, as well as do my normal chores of cleaning my room, tidying up the house, etc. I walk home more frequently than I walk to school, but my mom’s job means I sometimes have to walk to and from school. I also find myself devoting a lot of time helping my mom decipher what emails and applications are asking. She understands the majority of simple, medium-difficulty questions, but I translate and explain a lot to her. Also, it just being me and her, I find it my duty to check up on her a lot and see if she is alright—and hopefully better than that—not just her checking in on me. A very mature and sort of strange habit I have is just reflecting and zoning out when I am at home—I find almost nothing is as important to me as analysis and introspection into myself because that can only strengthen my being.

 

I have also been part of the People United for Multicultural Awareness (PUMA) group since I started attending SHP, and those in the EJME (Equity, Justice, and Multicultural Education) department and PUMA and I are very close. I have been a part of pre-orientations, on both the entering and hosting sides; [acted as] Open House representation; attended weekly meetings on Thursdays; and held casual conversations with the past and the present directors of EJME—they have helped me in unimaginable ways.

 

Soccer, dance, cooking, reading, socializing, studying, the cultural affinity group, and SHP meetings with faculty and staff… all represent parts of me, my history and experience. The beautiful thing is that these are [varied] interests, but all call for diligence and introspection. Specifically for PUMA and EJME, those have bestowed upon me the means to thrive in a not-so-easy environment, whether that be genuine and realistic efforts towards material equity, a safe space to discover the hidden meaning behind anything, and friendships that served as the foundation for my confidence and [ability to create] connections with my fellow classmates.

 

My previous school experience included a poor curriculum that highlighted my initiative in wanting to learn about subjects on my own. I certainly came from a school that had less academic rigor in comparison to SHP. Also, being a person of color and of Hispanic heritage, it was and is still—although exponentially less—difficult to integrate into such an affluent, predominantly white school… I used to feel a burden of having to represent my people, a pressure that created a distance between myself and others. I had to root myself by surrounding myself with people like me first, then expanding and having a much more diverse group of people and ideas to experience. Nevertheless, I found myself quickly excelling in academics, venturing into opportunities for service, professional development and hobbies, and becoming comfortable in describing something as difficult as who I am and what I have had to experience. As a result, I am much more confident now of the past, present, and future me. 

 

 

Despite how intimidating a preparatory like SHP might be for people like me that have been accustomed to different kinds of homes and socio-economic socialization and backgrounds, I was able to struggle immensely, reflect, and ultimately expand out of myself. Simultaneously [I was able to] explore my interior persona, and contribute to the growth of those around me, my own potential, and Catholic faith even more.

 

 

[SHP has] changed everything for my life. In fact, not just for my life, but for those around me who, for one reason or another, saw something in me or simply were related to me—[this experience] changes their access to resources and a better life. I always knew I was not the average kid. Sure, I was above average in my studies, but there was something else in me… I have always had a deep faith in God, despite an unfortunate dose of pragmatic doubt with regards to my fate in the college application via the QuestBridge process. I have always been not-so-bad at sports, especially soccer, and most importantly, I devoted myself at an early age to never stop growing internally. With the humility that I believe has a heavy presence in my character put to the side for a second, I am elated to know that my potential will not be undermined, but rather, nurtured and celebrated with those I have loved. An advancement of my education and career experimentation means much more than money to me. It means that I am much closer to harmony, balance, and optimization. Not only will I be able to do what I love, in the hopes that I can make a big difference in whatever I end up partaking in, but I will bring financial stability, empathy, support, love, and a little bit of fun to my family, my friends, my colleagues, and my mentors along the way. And hopefully, to a family that I can create, and do for them what Sacred Heart has begun to do for me, and obviously for many others.