Diego Galeano Diaz '24 Recruiting Profile

Growing up, it was common for me to be placed into the care of other family members/family friends while my parents would go work. My mother worked at a textile factory.  She would often be gone before the sun even peaked out and would return back home exhausted, with little to no energy left to even greet us. My mother would spend countless nights crying herself to sleep trying to figure out how she was going to pay our bills. Oftentimes, she was made the pun of her co-worker's jokes “Pinche muerta de hambre” - a Mexican term used to humiliate low-income people. Seeing my mother's physical, mental, and emotional health deteriorate created a deep sense of hatred for poverty within me but also motivated me. 

Despite working endless hours to make ends meet, my mother would always show up to my soccer games and tournaments. Even if I didn't see her, I would always hear her yelling out "VAMOS DIEGO! LETS GO DIEGO!".  Through her unconditional support, I have been able to partake in various opportunities such as the Univision  Cup tournament and traveling to Mexico to play against competitive and elite academies such as C.D. Guadalajara - Better known as Las Chivas and C.F. Jabatos de Nuevo León - better known as Nuevo León. Most recently, my mother was able to scrap together enough money so I could accept my invitation into FA Euro - an academy that is also a member of MLS. Every opportunity that I am able to partake in is through my mother's hard work and endless sacrifices - sacrifices that I will ensure will never have been in vain. 

My mother has done everything to ensure that I always had clothes on my back, food on my table, and well-rounded education. For her, I will break my family's cycle of generational poverty with the support of higher education and if all goes well - soccer. My goals and aspirations are to major in Computer Science or Computer Engineering while playing D1 soccer. Currently, I hold a 3.8 GPA, I am a member of my school's STEM Honors Acadamy and I partake in various extracurricular activities, including soccer. As I prepare to enter college, I will continue to be a hardworking, dedicated, humble, and ambitious student and player. Despite any obstacles I might face throughout my journey, I will continue to break barriers and pave the way for my family's future generations to come.