At Athens Drive, there are over 2,000 students, each with their own lives and stories. Christian Dominguez, a junior at Athens Drive, is one of these students. He enjoys playing basketball, playing the guitar, cooking food and exercising.
“I like too many things to do, maybe,” said Dominguez. “I like to play guitar and make new songs, […] I like to play basketball […] and I like to cook Mexican food sometimes.”
One of Dominguez’s biggest hobbies is playing basketball. He first learned to play when his dad taught him how as a young child. After that, he fell in love with basketball, regularly playing it whenever he could, and continues to play it today.
“One of my dreams is to play basketball professionally,” said Dominguez. “I’m trying to go to college and try for a team to play basketball.”
Another of Dominguez’s hobbies is playing guitar and writing his own songs for guitar. He started playing the guitar almost four years ago, teaching himself how to play through online tutorials, and has continued playing the guitar and writing his own music in his free time since then.
“I like it because it’s something that my mind likes, something that relaxes me, and something that I enjoy doing,” said Dominguez. “I don’t actually want to show my music to the public because I’m a bit embarrassed about it, but if I got the opportunity to show my music, I could do it.”
Dominguez was born in Mexico City and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was around 13. He has loved living in America and feels very comfortable here. He stated that he has not had to deal with large amounts of hate or racism directed towards him, but has instead felt welcome, and looks forward to his future in the U.S.
“I like it here,” said Dominguez. “I feel comfortable in this country, and I feel like I’m gonna do my life and make all my dreams true here.”
Dominguez works hard both at school and out of school, studying and striving to get good grades in school and offering assistance to classmates who need help. Outside of school, he stays active by taking walks and exercising, while still keeping time for his interests and hobbies, like basketball and guitar, or cooking food.
“He is always eager to participate, eager to read and answer questions, and even if he’s wrong, that does not shut him down, which is great,” said Alexis Hester, English teacher at Athens Drive. “He’ll help others, which is really nice because he can speak pretty good English, but also can speak Spanish, so if there’s someone who doesn’t know a word, and I’m unable to help them, having kids like Christian who are willing to help out makes it even easier.”
Dominguez is one of the many unique and talented students at Athens Drive, and plans to continue playing basketball, writing music and trying new foods in the future. When asked what he would say if he could say one thing to the rest of the school, Dominguez quickly gave the following advice:
“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up. If you want to do something, just fight for it, just do it,” said Dominguez. “We are young and we are free, so we need to make it through.”
