Braulio Favela
By Addy Christensen
Drugs and violence are what Senior Braulio Favela saw daily while living in Mexico. Braulio came from a very violent and big city in Mexico. When he lived in Mexico, Braulio described himself as a very out-going person and interacted well with the people.
“I came over to the U.S. for the security and the opportunities that there is here,” said Senior Braulio Favela.
However, Braulio struggles with the language barrier. Braulio explains that English is hard to understand and causes him to stay close to the people he understands. Braulio likes to use Google Translate to help with the language barrier, but he hopes to learn more English to be able to communicate more.
“Braulio excels at Spanish and his English has advanced a lot,” said Junior Alvaro Fernandez.
Braulio came to St. Francis to live with his uncle. He likes going to school, and working here gives him a sense of security. Braulio said this is a very small town compared to the large city he lived in Mexico. His sister came with him to the United States but didn’t like living in a small town so she went back to live in Mexico with her mom.
He enjoys being and senior and being able to leave for lunch. Being a senior brings seniority and freedom.
Even though there is a language barrier, he feels that everyone is very nice and has always been welcoming to him.
While Braulio believes that there are more opportunities for him here, he does not enjoy that you have to go to school all day here.
In Mexico, he only had to go to school for half the day and was able to work the other part as an inspector in a food warehouse.
In Saint Francis, he can only work on the weekends at Cheyenne Feedyard as a cowboy who checks on the cows and tends to the horses.
“He’s a very attractive cowboy,” said Caleb Todd.
Braulio enjoys team roping and going to competitions. He practices a lot in order to stay safe and not lose a finger.
Practicing team roping also allows him to be around his horses, which he really likes. Braulio would rather be with his horses and take care of them instead of being in school all day.
Braulio has a sister and mother who both live in Mexico. They are able to do a lot of phone calls to stay in touch, and they will be here for graduation. He misses them both and wishes he could see them again.
“I want to go into the army to become a pilot,” said Favela.
Being a pilot in Braulio’s eyes will give him more opportunities. He hopes in ten years to have a farm, cattle, horses and a family.
Braulio believes that anything is possible as long as you try. His advice to underclassmen included encouragement.
"Don't give up," Favela said "It might be hard, but you're almost done. You guys got this!"
He said his favorite memory from high school was the senior trip. "This was my favorite memory because I got to spend time with my classmates," Favela said. "I had lots of fun and it was a great experience."
