“If I was to say one thing to the incoming freshmen it would be to live your high school life to the fullest, because these four years pass by fast,” said Carlos Merida Aragon, a senior from the class of 2020. 

Carlos is a very popular name. The Carlos we are talking about is different, but it’s a good kind of different.

You might know him from the Student Council as a representative or you know him as the rising star of the soccer team, going from the freshman team to JV in freshman year and then on to varsity.

Or you just know Carlos from just being himself with his inviting personality. “I’m bored at home, but being me, I hit people up to talk to them, or invite one friend over so my mom doesn’t trip because I got nothing else to do,” Carlos said. 

I’ve known Carlos since 3rd grade and man, he’s still the same when it comes to talking to people. You could be mad at him, but then two minutes into the conversation and you’ve already become friends, talking about something unrelated to what you were mad about.

That’s probably why he was a good fit as a  Student Council rep for the two years he served. He could always easily grab the attention of the audience when we had assemblies.

Don’t be fooled, Carlos isn’t only just focused on soccer and Student Council work, he also kept his studies in check. “If I had to choose between soccer and studies obviously I would choose studies at the end of the day,” he said. “Knowledge is what gets you farther.”

His parents are also very anxious to see what he’ll do with his future, knowing that he’s going to Arizona Christian University on a soccer scholarship. Carlos’s father, Carlos Merida Sr., said, “It’s sad to see him go but in the end, I am proud of my son…In my family, many of us play soccer and we all wanted to go pro, and seeing Carlos, my son, go to college with a soccer scholarship just makes me happy.”  

When it comes to his teachers Carlos becomes more than just a student, he becomes a friend. 

One of his teachers Carl McBee said, “We have seen each other grow in ways that we both probably never realized were possible. He might be loud and goofy, but so am I, and there are very few people that can throw us curve balls — he throws them at me and I’m always ready to throw one back at him. 

“It’s been an honor to see him mature into the young man that he is today and he knows that I am a teacher who has always seen his most important qualities without judgment on his light-hearted personality. While some are quick to assume who Carlos is, I have had the unique opportunity to be a part of his journey for all four years.”

The coronavirus has messed up the end of the year for all the seniors of 2020, and Carlos is no exception. 

“[Has] the coronavirus messed up my year? Hell yeah, it has,” he said. “Look, I get no prom, no graduation, no matter what anyone says those last months were crucial and we no longer get that time.”

Despite this fact, Carlos still pushes forward with his college life and has decided to live life to the fullest.

With Carlos’s final year over he now faces the challenge of college and adult life. Knowing him, he’ll probably laugh his way through it without a problem.