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Christian Aviles

Biography

 Profile: Christian Aviles is a young man on a mission ...not only to better himself, but to help each and every vulnerable person who needs assistance.  It is no surprise one of his future goals is to become a social worker, a 24-7 employee of society.  From humble roots in Mexico City to the streets of Los Angeles, Christian has seen a lot heartache in a brief time, but he’s also seen a lot of good too.  The next stop for Christian is the East Coast and highly-competitive Amherst College in Massachusetts.  The young man, who also is considering a major in anthropology, earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in community college and was an active volunteer in service organizations both on and off campus.  It’s just like the modest Christian to deflect praise of his intelligence and sense of community: “My success story is not mine alone. I am here because of a community effort. It was the support of my friends, family, organizations in my community, and teachers that helped lead me to this victory. Furthermore, it was the people with whom I volunteer that gave me the boost I needed to become a JKC Scholar. These people have overcome obstacles far greater than mine, such as domestic abuse, alcoholism, and extreme poverty. Yet they continue to fight--it is this fight that inspires me.”

Inspiration:  Christian’s political science teacher in community college, Professor Natalina Monteiro, was a great influence in his academic life. “Professor Monteiro incorporated the values of social justice, equality, and righteousness,” said Christian.  “It is rare to find a teacher who is willing to teach students the importance of using their education to help others but Professor Monteiro did just that . . . she taught me to be a beacon to others by inspiring change.”

Aspiration:  After earning his undergraduate degree, Christian hopes to go on for a doctorate.  Eventually he would like to teach but said he is also interested in anthropology and a career in social work is not out of the question either.

Making a Difference: Christian is a dedicated volunteer at an organization that seeks to help women overcome domestic violence. One morning he was teaching a computer class to a group of women when one of them approached Christian and asked how to capitalize a letter using Microsoft Word. “Her reaction upon accomplishing this task was unbelievable. She hugged me and thanked me for teaching her something that to me seemed like an easy task.” Yet it wasn't the gravity of the task that mattered, Christian recalled. “What mattered is that she took the first step towards becoming a new person. I knew at that moment that I wanted to dedicate my entire life to helping others. Many people go to college in order to earn a prestigious credential or secure a high salary, but those things are no longer my interest. I realized that I would go to college to change the world, one person at a time.”

Accolades:  At East Los Angeles College Christian was an Ephebian Society Member and was named to the President's Honor List.  While in high school he earned the President's Educational Award.

Interesting Fact:  Some people collect stamps ...others like to garden ...some people hike or ride motorcycles.  But Christian’s two favorite hobbies are a little more boring: “Sleeping and breathing are my two favorite hobbies.”

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