By Ariell Fain
It’s 8:30 p.m. and freezing. It’s the kind of night where you can see your breath and wish you’d remembered your hot hands. It doesn’t phase them though. They keep running up and down in just athletic wear in 35-degree weather. There’s 20 other people running around and yelling over each other. It’s pretty chaotic, and I’m pretty sure no one out there knows what’s going on. But these three, they might as well be the only ones out there. As they run up the field, they spread out, but keep in step. Using their peripheral vision, they fall into a smooth line and cover the field. They are just warming up, getting ready for the game. Impressed by their performance, I lean forward to watch my friends from my folding chair and wait for the start of the game.
These three, Alejandro Barahona, Wilson Andres and Miguel Rivera are a part of the intramural soccer team called “Latin America.” They take their positions on the field for the start of the game. They call out to each other, and I strain my ears to listen. It’s of little use. They only speak in Spanish to each other on the field. An advantage over the other team.
The game begins with the opposite team having the ball. The trio instantly goes into game mode. They spread out from one another but periodically call out. The ball flies in Andres’s direction. Barahona calls out what sounds like encouragement to him. Rivera comes out of nowhere to help shield Andres from opponents. Barahona calls out to them from a mob of opponents, “Tranquilo, tranquilo!” I watch in awe as this trio effortlessly works as a team within a team. I pull my blanket tighter as the ball is kicked from person to person. In the final moments, it glides past the goalie and into the goal. Latin America has won again.
I first met Alejandro Barahona, Miguel Rivera and Wilson Andres at a Mississippi State football tailgate. They were friends of a friend of mine. It was September, but felt like July. The scorching sun and Amazon-like humidity had run everyone under the tents. There was nothing to do but to talk for hours on end. Naturally, I introduced myself to this trio
What turned into small talk led into a friendship. I was awestruck to find that they were not from the United States. They seemed to speak better English and fit in better than I did. Hailing from a humble distance of 1,342 miles, the trio came from the exotic Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This is the story of how they made it to bulldog country, Mississippi.
The trio was born and raised in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Barahona and Rivera attended a private bilingual school since elementary school, Andres later started attending one in middle school. Success was something that all of their parents wanted for them. A private bilingual school helped make that possible. At their school, the boys were able to learn English at an early age. In fact, almost every subject there was taught in English. This opened the door for many opportunities for them, including coming to the United States.
Being that the trio has also seemed to fit right in with American life, I asked them about their experience with the United States. They told me college was not the first time that they had been to the States, they in fact had been to many places in the U.S. Barahona actually lived in the United States for a short time in Kansas while his father got his master’s degree. Barahona was also a decorated swimmer when he was younger and went to swim camps in the United States. Barahona and Andres had been to the United States on vacations as well, but Rivera’s first time was when he went to college.
Mississippi State was not the trio’s first college. They all attended Snow College in Utah first. Andres and Rivera met in high school, but met Barahona there. They were standoffish towards each other at first being that they came from rival high schools. They told me the town surrounding the college was very tiny, and the only places to eat were a Subway and a Mexican restaurant. There wasn’t a lot to do in the town, so they traveled everywhere. They explored Los Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Diego. Every place they went was different from the next, beautiful in its own way.
Coming from a huge capital city overseas to a small town in the United States seemed crazy to me. Like how do you even find these towns? They told me the bilingual schools that they went to were set up so you could go to the United States for college. Colleges from the United States would come and offer scholarships and information. Snow College was one of the cheapest and best out of all the colleges.
With Snow College only being a junior college, they all had to decide where to go next. Mississippi State University was one of their choices, but they didn’t plan on sticking together.
“We all just wanted the best possible option for scholarships as well as for our majors, and Mississippi State just happened to be a perfect fit for all of us,” Rivera said.
The trio all decided to stay close and room together at State. They are all very outgoing and wanted to meet new people, so they decided to get involved on campus. Barahona is a Maroon Money Mentor, Andres is a foundation ambassador, and Rivera is the president of American Society of Mechanical Engineering. This is just one of the many things the trio is involved in on campus.
“Being actively involved helps you see the campus on a deeper level. You get to meet some amazing people and be a part of things that many students don’t even know are going on,” Andres said.
Towards the end of the interview, I asked them what was the biggest challenge they’ve faced. They all said missing home. They are big family people, and not getting to be near their family is a challenge for them.
“It’s really hard not to just go home from school and see my mom every day. As hard as it is, it does help keep me responsible,” Andres said.
Despite being so far from their families, they have created their own family over here. Living together and being with each other constantly has brought the trio closer than just friends.
I can attest to this – I’ve seen them argue like brothers once after Rivera ate Barahona’s food at a football game. Rivera just laughed it off and bought Barahona some more food.
“It’s definitely made it easier coming to a new place. We all support each other, so it’s kinda like having your family around,” Rivera said.
While finishing up the interview, I notice a flag clinging to the wall. It is cerulean blue with a single white stripe. Stars dot the white stripe of the flag. I ask them about Honduras and how they feel about it. Andres told me that he feels it's important to still remember Honduras while they are here.
“Honduras is a good country with great people. We represent them by being the best people that we can be here in the United States,” Andres said.
I wrap up the interview by asking them about the intramural soccer games. They told me that in Honduras everyone plays soccer, and Rivera and Andres both played in high school. Barahona played just for fun, but you couldn’t tell being that he’s so talented. They said it was just natural for them to join the team. I tell them goodbye and that I’d be at their game tonight. However, I remember I forgot one last question.
“Hey Alejandro, what is that flag in the kitchen?” He gave me a huge smile and said, “That’s the Honduras flag. You can always tell by the five stars.”