Happy Birthday, Armando!

MARCH 9

I haven't used this blog to send out birthday messages before, but Armando's birthday is very special this year. A former student who was awarded the Gold Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate Honors Thesis at Stanford for his powerful study of how childhood trauma is depicted in the fiction of Ana Maria Matute, Armando is as cool as cool gets. He is thoughtful about everything he does and truly concerned about other people and their struggles.

Armando was the first person in his family to go to college. And he went to Stanford. His parents, who completed elementary school in Mexico, now have two sons in college. Armando served as both a role model and inspiration to his younger brother, who is currently attending an ivy league university. (He has two older siblings who did not go onto college.) In many ways, Armando opened doors for not only himself, but for the rest of his family, and this is something he continues to do in his work today. I can't say enough about that.

The past year, especially since his last birthday, has been a very tough one for Armando. With his characteristic grace and determination, he has tackled some very big and very trying obstacles.

My hope is that this next year is a whole lot easier for you, Armando! Rock on!