I owe my disciplined work ethic and positive attitude to my parents. "¡Ponte las pilas!" they would tell me. This saying translates to "Put your batteries on!" an expression used to motivate oneself or others. It meant to get passionate and inspired, and to RUN with a purpose, to work hard, and never quit.

My parents, like many, worked hard and made sacrifices to support, maintain, and care for their four sons, me being the oldest. As the older brother in the family, I was responsible for setting a good example for my younger siblings, which meant holding myself accountable and establishing strong morals, values, and beliefs. A couple of years later into my childhood, my parents, in search of better opportunities and cost of living, made the decision to move us from California to Texas. As I began to age into adolescence my father started taking me to work with him in his concrete business, which he and an uncle of mine started on their own. There, I learned the importance of what it means to be a hard worker, a team player, a leader, a listener, a doer. While some classmates were off to summer vacation, I worked summers with my father. Working under the summer heat in the middle of June and July in Texas sure did motivate me to find something I was truly passionate about as a career. Ever since I was a little boy I have always had a pull towards the creative side of things. I would draw, scribble, make up my own comic books, make up my own movies, design my own posters, create my own characters, create my own artwork, and as I got older and older, I began to get an interest in design and the soul behind it.

When you "put your batteries on" you are essentially trying to solve a problem. Something is slowing you down or has stopped you in your tracks, and the only thing left to do is find the solution and continue moving forward. Graphic designers are essentially problem solvers. They see problems that need addressing in this digital, aesthetical, modern world and they have the tools, knowledge, and spirit to fix them. I believe this mentality aids me in being a strong graphic designer because I am continuously moving toward the best solution for the problem in front of me. I believe this is what has allowed me to create visually strong, eye-catching work and has helped me stay focused during extreme pressure when prioritizing multiple projects at once.