Junior Alex Galindo is grateful for the merit and need-based scholarships that make it possible for him to attend UT.
In his graduate speech at Farragut High School, Alex Galindo began by quoting James Cash Penney, the founder of the department store JCPenney: “‘I am grateful for all of my problems. After each one was overcome, I became stronger and more able to meet those that were still to come. I grew in all my difficulties.’”
Galindo was born in Morristown, Tennessee, the first of four children of Rafael Galindo-Borja, a construction worker, and his wife. “He did masonry, framing, roofing, poured concrete, made outdoor fireplaces and patios,” says Galindo, who worked with his father on construction sites for four summers, starting after seventh grade.
“I was always naturally good at school,” says Galindo. In kindergarten, he was doing math and reading one or two grades above level. His father took on extra work to move the family into the Farragut school district. “After hearing all the things my dad had to go through and seeing how hard he worked and what it took for me to go to Farragut, I wanted to make sure I made the most of the opportunity.”
In freshman honors English, Galindo was inspired by Mollie Townley. “She was the biggest reason I started to love English,” says Galindo. “We used the book How to Read Literature Like a Professor, and that helped me understand good writing and aspire to be better.”
UT is so inviting and welcoming and supporting. The alumni are awesome.
– Alex Galindo, recipient of merit and need-based scholarships
In August 2016, before his junior year of high school, his father was picked up on a traffic stop, found to be in the United States illegally, placed on an immigration hold for months, and was eventually deported in March 2017. During the first few months of his father’s absence, Galindo’s mother came undone, became abusive, and was declared unfit by the court.
Galindo entered the foster family system in January 2017, and in July he began living with a loving family that gave him a stable home life. At school he was grateful for the support of Townley. “She was my school mom,” he says. “I would go back to her when I was going through things.”
“When faced with problems,” Galindo said in his Farragut graduation speech, “we are each given a choice: a choice to either be angry for what we don’t have or be thankful for what we do have. I chose to be thankful for the fact that I had the ability to be a role model for my sisters and show them that they have no limitations other than those which they impose on themselves. I pushed myself harder than I had before. I caught up in my classes and took standardized tests again and again.”
Debbie Jones hugs Alex Galindo after he shared his story at the Big Orange Awards Bash in April.
Galindo got a 35 (out of 36) on the ACT and was named a National Merit finalist. With credits from seven AP tests, he entered UT with 39 credits, and he is grateful for the merit and need-based scholarships that make it possible for him to attend UT.
“To express my gratitude,” he says, “thank you doesn’t even seem fitting. There are so many things I never would have thought, with what I’ve been through, that I would get to the place that I am now. UT is so inviting and welcoming and supporting. The alumni are awesome. I’ve been able to meet so many of them in situations where they’ve been able to give me advice and wisdom that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my life.”
