Mulberry High School

Soccer

Valencia College

Gabriel graduated from Mulberry High School in May 2023 and will attend Valencia College this Fall.

He played Varsity Soccer for 4 years. Gabriel was Captain for his Travel Cub Soccer Team. He was able to lead his Mulberry High School soccer team to the District Championship in 2020.

He wants to be able to have a certain financial freedom and help his family with some of their needs. He wants to graduate from college and have a good career and work himself up in a company until becoming a Corporate Manager.  He also wants to accomplish all his extra-curricular goals. Gabriel strongly believes that the challenges we face develop our character and expose our inner strength. He grew up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in a neighborhood called Eldorado.  It is hard for him to explain to most people born in America the difference in the quality of education, security and opportunities that exist between the two countries.

He has been blessed to have a mother that worked hard to get her master’s degree in business.  She also had the drive and ambition to leave Brazil alone and come to America for better opportunities for both of us. They spoke no English when they came to America and he had to compete since I was 14 years old in middle school and high school all while learning a new language, culture and leaving friends and the only life he knew.

Gabriel had to overcome all these new things that were happening in his life at the same time. Soccer was the major help that made him focus and dedicate himself for the best. Without knowing the English language, the coach had to show him every tactic, every play using drawings for him to be able to understand.

Because of that, today he loves soccer from the bottom of his heart. If wasn’t for the coach, he would not know if he would accomplish everything that he had achieved.

Gabriel has maintained a 3.42 GPA, but it does not tell his entire story or even scratch the surface of his potential. He has mastered English now, received the top scorer award on his Mulberry High School soccer team and had a phenomenal senior year academically.  He feels very strongly that he will continue to flourish in college as he has come so far in his acculturation to the United States of America.

To answer any questions succinctly, his past home country history and culture have driven Gabriel to succeeded despite the obstacles he has had to face. He has learned the language and culture of America, has the family and community support and is very motivation to accomplish all his goals in college.