Cesar Avila has been working hard to be where he is right now and hopes to improve physically and mentally. Avila hopes to accomplish this by having the people he cares about to be there for him and help him on his journey.

Avila has faced some obstacles along his high school journey.

Avila said he had friends that helped him push through his depression but once he was home, the feelings started to come back. “My depression mainly affected me at home, since everything I would look at would just keep reminding me of my mom who was not there at the moment and my dad was just kind of there,” Avila said.

Unfortunately Avila’s parents couldn’t be there for him when he needed them. Avila said that since his parents weren’t there he didn’t really have to mature at all, he has behaved the same way since 8th grade. “When I saw my mom, I was speechless, mainly because of how drastically she had changed over the course of two years. I was speechless with my dad after he more or less straightened out,” Avila said.

Avila thinks highly of his parents, mainly his mom. “My mom yes, she’s done so much for me that I can’t explain it with just words. As for my dad, I don’t think that highly of him, but I know he’s trying to improve, he tries his best,” Avila said.

High school was a very stressful experience for Avila.

“The most stressful time for me was freshman year, during the time that my parents weren’t there for me to support me,” Avila said.

By the end of his freshman year was when his mother came back, and that made his stress go away.

“My favorite high school moment would have to be just being with my friends, every time I’m with them I feel enlightened,” Avila said.