Trinity Ramirez: Why did you choose to compete in  Mr. & Miss Cardinal?

Charles Madrid: Well, I’ve been wanting to do it since middle school because Jamie would ask my mom if I could be a contestant for Mr. & Miss Cardinal but I also think Jamie was looking for people to join. 

TR: Why did you decide to join band?

CM: I joined because I’ve been doing percussion since the 3rd grade so I just really liked music and, like, all of middle school I was in a band as well. I really just liked playing the drums and music. 

TR: How would you describe yourself?

CM: I would describe myself as an outgoing person. I also like making others laugh and smile and I would say I do much more work than others, like, in my classes more than a typical person. I also like helping others and I’m very friendly.

TR: What do you like doing in your free time or any hobbies of yours?

CM: In my free time I like to play with my friends on my Xbox. I also like to play with my pets or I like to rest a lot or sometimes do some of my work or watch TV.

TR: I see that you are a runner up for valedictorian. How did that come to be?

CM: Since freshman year I’ve been taking honor classes. I’ve also been taking more classes than the usual person, and then, in sophomore year I began taking college classes at Valley College, and now I try to have AP or honor classes in my schedule.  I think I am taking  two classes at Valley College.

TR: What made you think about trying to become a nurse?

CM: I wanted to try to become a nurse because the pay is really good and Filipinos are mostly nurses or engineers. But I want to become a nurse because I like to help people and I want to be in the Medical Field.  It was either being in the Medical Field or doing something for engineering, but since I wanted to be more social and be with people more, I just wanted to be a nurse to help others out.

TR: Who do you think is most valuable to you?

CM: I think it would be my mom. I think she is most valuable to me because she’s the reason we’re here, like, why my family is here in the US.  If she didn’t become a teacher in the Philippines then she wouldn’t have gotten the job to be over here and I feel like she’s the reason we’re here and not in the Philippines and living there.  She has a good job and stuff plus she teaches me and she always helps me with my math when I ask her for help. But I don’t usually ask her unless I really don’t know  how to understand the problem.

TR: What’s something from your childhood that is most memorable to you?

CM: Something from my childhood that was memorable to me was playing Minecraft with my brothers or playing Xbox with my brothers like late at night. So it was like those countless memories and just spending time with them.

TR: Who is someone you most admire and why?

CM: I think I admire my mom because of how strong she was at first leaving the Philippines to come to the US by herself at first. Then bringing my dad and brother after three years of having a job out here by herself.  I feel like I most admire her for being so strong, smart, and courageous for those three years she was here by herself with my dad and brother and to provide a future for our family.