California Golden Bears Athletics
Framing My Mexican Heritage
10/3/2023 12:31 PM | DEIBJ
My name is Luis Carrillo, and I am a video producer for CAL Athletics. Originally born and raised in Texas, I saw an opportunity to really get out of my comfort zone to come out, visit, and finally work on the West Coast for one of the most academically recognizable universities in the world. Both of my parents immigrated from Mexico?my mother from Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and my father from Nochistlan, Zacatecas.Â
Both come from very blue-collar backgrounds, coming to the States with no prior knowledge of the country or its main spoken language; but they sought the opportunities it provided. They actually first touched ground in California, then Nevada, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and finally Texas where they first met. Their ambitions and dreams are what allowed them to get this far and their morals rubbed off on my own goals.
What kick-started my ambition for video production was trying a bunch of different classes in high school and landing one with our daily announcements, then yearbook where I introduced the idea of integrating QR codes that would take users to a video that I would make on Twitter. Because of the positive reception I got from doing that, and also just having fun making videos in general, I decided to pursue video production as a career. I didn't know it was even possible to do it for athletics until I started working at my university's football program during fall camp, way before I even started class as a freshman. From then on I went to work at great schools such as the University of North Texas, Auburn, TCU, and now UC Berkeley.
Thankfully my ambitions were never overshadowed by my own parents' dreams of what they wanted me to be. Any time I talked about potential career paths, they pushed me to accomplish whatever I set my mind to. My parents came to a new country looking for a semblance of happiness in any job they could find, so their goal for myself and my siblings was to find a job that we genuinely enjoyed?something they could not do themselves. Regardless, they are what drive me to keep doing what I am doing and do it better every day. I am a byproduct of their hard work, kindness, perseverance, and persistence to be better. Understanding the bravery it took to come to a new country some 20 years ago, hearing the horror stories of what it took to get me here, and experiencing the struggles along side them of being foreigners in a country we didn't really understand, I could never let their hard work or mine go to waste. Especially now where I can represent an extremely small group of Mexicans who work in athletics through my work as a video producer.
The most rewarding part of this job comes from being able to interact with the student-athletes that come from the same background as I do, and fight to accomplish the same things just in different mediums. Or better yet, I get to be a small semblance of home for international students who also speak Spanish and are brand new to the country, just like my parents were. There is value in being able to interact with so many people from different Spanish-speaking countries: I am in a position to be able to tell their stories with their respective teams, while also being able to show them that there is a community within athletics that represents not only Mexican people, but Hispanics all across the board. And in the Bay Area especially, there is a unique melting pot of all of us just in this one area. I have met more people from all across Latin America being here than I ever did anywhere else.
My goal is to accomplish everything my parents ever dreamed of, and in doing so also be able to give voice and representation to Hispanic student-athletes that are a part of our athletic programs?especially as we continue to grow in size and enhance our voices within our communities. I am forever thankful for my parents and all others who continue to fight to provide the American dream to their kids. And I will always thank CAL for allowing me to represent this side of their athletic department.
Luis Carrillo has been with Cal Athletics, working in the Creative Services unit, for almost one year.
Both come from very blue-collar backgrounds, coming to the States with no prior knowledge of the country or its main spoken language; but they sought the opportunities it provided. They actually first touched ground in California, then Nevada, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and finally Texas where they first met. Their ambitions and dreams are what allowed them to get this far and their morals rubbed off on my own goals.
What kick-started my ambition for video production was trying a bunch of different classes in high school and landing one with our daily announcements, then yearbook where I introduced the idea of integrating QR codes that would take users to a video that I would make on Twitter. Because of the positive reception I got from doing that, and also just having fun making videos in general, I decided to pursue video production as a career. I didn't know it was even possible to do it for athletics until I started working at my university's football program during fall camp, way before I even started class as a freshman. From then on I went to work at great schools such as the University of North Texas, Auburn, TCU, and now UC Berkeley.
Thankfully my ambitions were never overshadowed by my own parents' dreams of what they wanted me to be. Any time I talked about potential career paths, they pushed me to accomplish whatever I set my mind to. My parents came to a new country looking for a semblance of happiness in any job they could find, so their goal for myself and my siblings was to find a job that we genuinely enjoyed?something they could not do themselves. Regardless, they are what drive me to keep doing what I am doing and do it better every day. I am a byproduct of their hard work, kindness, perseverance, and persistence to be better. Understanding the bravery it took to come to a new country some 20 years ago, hearing the horror stories of what it took to get me here, and experiencing the struggles along side them of being foreigners in a country we didn't really understand, I could never let their hard work or mine go to waste. Especially now where I can represent an extremely small group of Mexicans who work in athletics through my work as a video producer.
The most rewarding part of this job comes from being able to interact with the student-athletes that come from the same background as I do, and fight to accomplish the same things just in different mediums. Or better yet, I get to be a small semblance of home for international students who also speak Spanish and are brand new to the country, just like my parents were. There is value in being able to interact with so many people from different Spanish-speaking countries: I am in a position to be able to tell their stories with their respective teams, while also being able to show them that there is a community within athletics that represents not only Mexican people, but Hispanics all across the board. And in the Bay Area especially, there is a unique melting pot of all of us just in this one area. I have met more people from all across Latin America being here than I ever did anywhere else.
My goal is to accomplish everything my parents ever dreamed of, and in doing so also be able to give voice and representation to Hispanic student-athletes that are a part of our athletic programs?especially as we continue to grow in size and enhance our voices within our communities. I am forever thankful for my parents and all others who continue to fight to provide the American dream to their kids. And I will always thank CAL for allowing me to represent this side of their athletic department.
Luis Carrillo has been with Cal Athletics, working in the Creative Services unit, for almost one year.
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