Mr. Ortiz has been a great friend since I first met him in first grade, this was in 2008. We went to Anna Henry Elementary together until he moved and we lost touch. Since then, we’ve had Sahuaro High School to bring us back together. We’ve been such good friends that sometimes it feels like we don’t even have any other friends.

My family welcomes Alejandro into our home like he’s our own and his treats me as a part of his family too. It’s easy to say we’re brothers. Lately we’ve had to decide on different occupations after high school. I’ve been stuck deciding between different jobs and college, but Alejandro has chosen to go into the Army.

Obviously it’s scary for me to imagine going without my best friend and brother into the next chapter of life, but I’m grateful to know that we’re lifelong amigos no matter the circumstances. His grandpa was an Army man and is a huge inspiration to the both of us. He’s smart and wise, quiet and reserved, and knows so much information through experience in the army that there isn’t enough time in the day to share even a portion of it.

Alejandro has been excited to go into the Army for months now, so much that I had to see what there was to offer. We went in together one night to the recruiting office with our parents and stayed there for hours discussing plans and options, but I felt discouraged. He’s been through all their tests and decided on a job. He’ll go out to Missouri for boot camp in June and probably won’t be back until October or November. I’m excited for him, almost as much as he’s excited to go into the Army.