The first rally of the year was held on August 23, and showcased many students and their talents. Dancing cheerleaders, energetic mascots, and in the center of it all—Ayala’s one and only—Diego Alfaro (11). Alfaro came to the center of the gymnasium with only his piano and microphone, ready to put on a show. Phones lit up once they heard the first piano notes, acting as flashlights during the performance. His voice filled the room with the melancholy lyrics of Coldplay’s, “The Scientist.”

Nobody said it was easy

It’s such a shame for us to part

Alfaro’s performance left the audience moved, and the atmosphere of the rally completely changed. It was a beautiful moment to experience as the crowd swayed along with the soulful lyrics.

“My friend Daniel who was next to me said that he almost cried,” said Rumari Zalez (10).

This performance only skimmed the surface of Alfaro’s talents.

Alfaro has been a pianist for two years, as well as proficient with the harmonica, along with showing skill in singing and songwriting. In his sophomore year he was responsible for creating a video game and also has had his own Youtube channel for several years which culminated 1.5 thousand subscribers and over 400,000 views. At the age of 16, these huge accomplishments were made possible by his constant hard work, commitment, and effort.

“To me, dedication means putting your heart and soul into it, which I do when I write my songs and make videos,” Alfaro said.

Through his music, Alfaro’s hard labor and maximum effort is showcased. It’s clear that he puts everything into the activities he is passionate about.

“Diego is very hard-working and persistent. For example, he’s learning to become a better musician, something that he strives to be,” Mr. James Douglass said. “He is willing to put in the time that it takes to become a better musician.”

Douglass was Alfaro’s AP Computer Principles teacher from sophomore year and one of the first people to encourage Alfaro to perform.

“He expressed [his passion] to the class and I told him to bring in the instrument one day and show us, and he did,” Douglass said. “He was brave enough to bring in the instrument, play in front of the class, and show everybody these talents that we didn’t know that he had.”

From then on, Alfaro constantly graced Ayala’s campus with his music. From singing “Happy Birthday” to covers of the Beatles, Alfaro performed in Douglass’ class and climbed his way up to performing at rallies.

This success has not always come so easy. Alfaro confesses difficulties along his path both internally and externally.

“Going into high school, I feel like I was not the version of me that I wanted to be now. At that time I was in a really bad position and I also had a lack of mental and emotional maturity,” Alfaro said. “I have been constantly excluded, rejected and bullied by my peers. But it’s only motivated me to be a better version of myself and to always be very inclusive of other people.”

His growth throughout his years of high school, not only with himself, but with learning to not be brought down by others, has only helped him grow for the better. He takes the lessons he learned from these experiences and uses them to improve, not hinder, himself.

Throughout everything, Alfaro is not afraid to be brave and pursue his dreams. He never misses an opportunity to do what he loves and continues to strive towards greatness with determination and hard work. Alfaro keeps his hopes and goals close to him, growing and maturing, but never losing sight of what he wants. He confesses what he hopes to accomplish in the future through dedication and perseverance.

“I really want to make it big in the music industry and maybe even one day be one of the most popular songwriters that there is,” Alfaro said. “And also to be the best version of me I could ever be.”