Humans of Brockport
“I’ve always liked to play sports video games over Call of Duty and games like that. I like playing NHL because I played hockey my whole life, so I have always been drawn to this game. I liked playing it because I could always beat my friends when we were younger, because I like to win. I consider myself to be a pretty decent player. So much so that I’m known in the NHL gaming community. The past two years I have come pretty close to qualifying for a $100,000 tournament that’s held in Vegas. In 2019, I was ranked fourth in the US prior to the start of the qualifying rounds for a trip to Vegas, and finished top 32 out of thousands of players. Top 16 make it. I was one win away. Last year, I finished top 32 again. I lost after blowing a 2–1 lead. Its been a really cool experience, and I was so close to qualifying. This year, I know the tournament is in April, and I really wanna see if I can better myself from the previous years, and qualify this time. And make it it Vegas.”
“I like Buffalo, I love living there. It’s called the City of Good Neighbors for a reason. The people here are a lot friendlier. Most people are nice to each other. I’m a huge Bills fan, being a part of the Bills Mafia is definitely a lifestyle. People in Buffalo don’t say ‘goodbye,’ they say ‘Go Bills.’ And whether you know a fellow fan or not, if you have Bills things on, you'll always here ‘Go Bills!’ If there was one thing I could change about Buffalo, it’d be the weather. I’m kind of sick of snow, and Buffalo gets a lot of it. If it could be Fall and Summer only that’d be great. I love Buffalo. I’ll always rep Buffalo and bleed Buffalo, my kids will definitely be Bills and Sabres fans. But I’m a big believer in moving and expanding. So I could see myself living somewhere else.”
“Both my parents are immigrants. My mom is from Brazil, Dad is from Turkey, and I am fluent in Portuguese. When I was six, I moved from a community of mostly Portuguese, to a predominately white community. No one spoke another language, and no one else was from a different culture the way I was. I was afraid of being judged and other kids making fun of me. I was embarrassed to speak another language that wasn’t English. As I grew older, I got into soccer and largely supported the Brazilian national team. It made me feel proud of my country and where my Mom was from. Before, I was never really proud of my roots. It was never a big deal to me. Today, I’m very proud of my ethnic background. I even have a tattoo, written in Portuguese. It reads ‘Never forget where you came from.’ My parents came to America to chase the American dream, but I am extremely proud of where they come from. With my family, I visit more family in Brazil every summer. It is awesome to spend time with them, such a large family, and it helps me appreciate everything I have here. I appreciate everything I have, and all that my parents were able to give me. I see how my family lives in Brazil, and feel grateful for the life I’ve been given here. But I still feel proud of where my roots are.”
