This is the motto by which I live my life. It means “Yes, you can,” a Latino phrase that has stood by my community for decades, fighting against prejudice by showing that we can do anything. We demonstrate time and time again that we can be whatever we want. We can be doctors, we can be lawyers, we can be musicians. It has taught me that I can pursue anything. Through hard work and dedication, our dreams can be achieved.

As co-president of Raza Latina, I was working diligently alongside the other officers to find a way to make sure the Hispanic Heritage Month presentation was a success. I realized that this was the perfect opportunity for me to finally start something I have been thinking about for a very long time. As Ernesto De La Cruz once said in the movie “Coco,” you must “seize your moment,” and so I did. Through the help of Tri-M, a Music Honors Society club at SCHS, and my enrollment in the music program, I founded the very first Mariachi band on campus.

To find musicians interested in joining the Mariachi, I created a Google Form that any student could fill out and announced sign-ups all over the band room. Soon enough, the submissions were stacking up, and I read through each one. From then on I knew I had found “mi gente,” my people, and together we set forth on a mission to embrace and share Mexican culture through music.

I was dedicated to helping my members get better at their craft and understand the cultural importance of Mariachi music. Mariachi is a central part of my life experience, music that has filled my ears at important celebrations over the years.

I heard Mariachi at morning serenades, Quinceaneras and those early Saturday mornings where my mom was forcing me to clean up. Together, with my own Mariachi, we ran through pieces of music over and over again to improve. We recorded ourselves playing and listened back, paying attention to any mistakes or good quality sounds that we could work on.

When I heard about Night of Acoustics, I knew my Mariachi needed to be there. Leading the Mariachi, for me, is not about creating the most perfect renditions of music – I do not care about sounding perfect – I care about sharing my culture and creativity with others.

After scouring the internet, I found the perfect ending piece for us to play. It is called “Caray” by famous Mexican singer Juan Gabriel. It is a lively piece with fun and easy rhythms that create a warm listening experience.

With Night of Acoustics being a month away, I knew our time was limited, so I sent the sheet music to all of the Mariachi members, and we practiced tirelessly. The trumpets got used to 16th note runs, the violins practiced their lively melodies and the guitars were strummed with passionate intensity.

A week before Night of Acoustics, I also found sheet music that I believed would be the perfect opening piece. With everything that has been affecting my Latino immigrant community, I knew that as a Mariachi, I needed to find something to pay homage to all of our loved ones. The piece, “Fantasmas” by Humbe, is a beautiful song with an outstanding trumpet solo that I entrusted to my best friend, Fernando Bobby Jesus Lopez Gutierrez. He is an amazing trumpet player in my Mariachi, and I knew he would do it justice.

“Fantasmas” gives musical meaning to the struggles and the prejudice that has been attacking my community for decades. To others, our Night of Acoustics Mariachi performance may not have looked like much, but to me, it is my entire world. I stood there telling myself, “Si se pudo.”

“It was possible,” and I did it. That is something that I am very proud of. What once started as an idea to liven up the Hispanic Heritage Presentation became an eventful journey with my Mariachi. I will forever cherish the experience and the people who made it worth experiencing.