This one's for you Miquay (and our soccer sons and daughter)

The following is an exerpt from an email we received recently from our Soccer Son Miquay. He is interning in Mexico with a bank.

Work has been a good experience, for the most part. I am learning an incredible amount about financial analysis and what HSBC does and how it handles it´s financial sector. I am working with HSBC´s analyst. I have done multiple tasks such as upgrading the financial databases that are used to do analysis by the professionals. I am in charge of finding financial statements of Mexican stocks and update the databases that are used as models for our analysist. with these models, analysts do their technical analysis where they look at the graph and the stock price trends and using what they know about technical analysis they then call the clients or investors and give them an opinion as to what they should do with their stocks. Very interesting stuff... In fact, I am doing my own analysis for my Investments Class where I am applying what i have learned and the professor is impressed...let me tell you ..I AM IMPRESSED too!!!............I think working at HSBC has been the best part of coming to Mexico since it has really made me grow as a professional (even thought it hasn´t been too much ;) ).

Miquay is a 2005 graduate of PRHS. We first met him when he was 12 years old and a contributingm vital member of the 2001 U16 soccer team that took 2nd in State their first year as a team. Miguay was a shy, sensitive young man, very unaware of the world outside his family and Mexico. I have fond memories of physically dragging him out of a school van to go into a restaurant to eat.
"No Miss, I cannot go"
"Why Not?"
"No Miss, I don't know what to do or what to eat"
"We will help you. It's a buffet so you can pick what you want."
"No Miss, I can't"
"Yes...you can"

Well, he could and did and hasn't stopped succeeding ever since. He was on the honor roll at PRHS and went on to the Big Cobber Ring School and is in his senior year. We are very proud of him and our other Soccer Sons and Daughter.

In case anyone ever wonders what kind of education and experience a student gets at PRHS, just talk with one of my "kids" Miguay,Rudy, Ivan, Mario,Leo,Yusuf, Katie,Brandon--they have all taken their early years training in Otter Tail County and are making something of their lives.

I probably don't need to tell you that most of the students mentioned are not native English speakers. If their parents hadn't taken a big risk in uprooting their families, then we wouldn't have had half the good memories we have from Soccer. And the kids wouldn't have had the opportunities they were allowed in MN. Katie and Brandon would be different people too.

In fact, there was just a letter from another "son" in a recent issue of the Pelican Rapids Press urging people to vote YES for the school referendum. He was just voting in his first election. What a way to celebrate his American citizenship.

On our living room wall here in Kuwait is a picture of my original soccer family. They are all dressed up at Prom, posed smiling, with a soccer ball in the middle of the picture. I'm not sure who exactly brought the soccer ball to prom but it didn't surprise me then. Just like nothing these kids do surprises me now.

If you ever wonder what happens when a kid is given just one chance, go back and read the first part of this post. Then, this next summer, if you live in Pelican Rapids, go cheer the current U12 soccer boys. The future IS there, if we allow it to happen.