Tavito Stories

During the team's runs with the wrestling at Fresno City College. Miguel and his brother Daniel would often be one of the top runners on the team. They would usually finish among the first runners. For me, it was always good to be surrounded by the Ruiz brothers because they shared a strong sense of leadership and a brotherhood that they were able to pass on to those who were around them, which is...

Miguel Ruiz is someone who I have looked up to since the first time I met him at Fresno City College. He was like an older brother on the wrestling team, with much knowledge, wisdom, and life experience. Getting Miguel to the podcast to share his life story with us is an honor. In our first episode, he is going to be sharing about his life in the military, wrestling again at community college, and...

As a wrestler for Coach Keysaw, I learned so many things from him and all the coaching staff. I have enjoyed the ups and downs of the journey. They made my college experience as a student-athlete memorable. Many first-generation college grads have wrestled for coach Keysaw and have taken a step forward to building a career and a dream. Some have succeeded in the sport by becoming all-Americans, an...

Coach Keysaw has had a tremendous influence on my life. He has shown me not to give up on my dreams, which I have learned through pure example and excellence. Around the end of the spring semester of 2019, I lost my job and apartment and had no financial support to afford another semester at Fresno City College. I remember going to coach Keysaw and sharing with him that I did not want to return to...

During the summer of 2018, my high school coach, Josue Cruz, arranged a date to visit Fresno City College, where I would take some English and math examinations. When I saw the library and the wrestling room during the trip to Community College, I fell in love with it the first time. The old-school style of the library made me feel like that was the place to begin building a dream. The sign “tradi...

Since my Sophomore year of high school, It had been a dream of mine to go to the CIF State Championships and compete against the best wrestlers in the State of California. Yet, I knew third place at the LA City Sections did not qualify me for the Wrestling CIF State tournament. After placing third at the tournament, I sat down with Adlee Fayaz, one of my coaches, and we talked about college wrestl...

Since I was in high school, I always wanted to experience what having curly hair is like. I shared this dream of mine with Delilah, and she suggested the idea of getting a perm. A perm is a hairstyle where the barber makes your hair curly for a few months. When I first got my first perm with Delilah, I was happy to have accomplished that dream of mine. What made me happy the most was the way Delil...

When I first met Delila, I noticed she set herself apart from other barbers by offering one-on-one haircut appointments at a studio she rented. I liked the way she ran her business because the haircut felt more personal to me. Throughout my time as a customer of Delila's, one thing I've admired about her has been how she balances work and family. Send us a text Hey, podcast fans! I've been away fo...

At traditional barbershops, I often felt under pressure when getting a haircut. The open space where you see customers sitting down and barbers taking walks in can be unpleasant for some people. At least, that is how it always felt to me because it often is an open space where you can see all the customers who walk in. It can be a great place to meet people if that is what you enjoy, but if you’re...

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." -Ralph Waldo Emerson There are people in this world who just know how to do things well. Delilah is one of those I have met who knows how to do that well. She is disciplined, creative, and organized. She is someone who loves to do what she does. In our third book of the series, One-on-o...

The time that I spent with Timea recording the podcast was amazing. As mentioned before, since I first met her, I knew I wanted to interview her and bring her to Tavito Stories to share her life story. I am grateful to know that I was able to build a friendship with her before we recorded the podcast. The classes we had together, her openness, and her casual conversation made the recording of this...

Timea has lived in 5 countries: Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, Greece, and the United States; since she was very young, her parents have set the goal to visit as many countries as her age. When we recorded the podcast, she was one country short since she turned 20 in 2022. She hoped to visit country number 20 by the summer of 2023, which she did. Portugal! I hope Timea writes a book about her fanta...

In the fall of 2022, my last semester of college. I happened to have another class with Timea which I believe was Introduction to graphic design. There we were, classmates again for another semester. Throughout that time, I was releasing the series Aspirational by Tavito Stories podcast. During the week before Thanksgiving. I was interviewing students around campus for a Thanksgiving special. In P...

When I first heard her foreign accent as she introduced herself to our journalism class, I was fascinated to hear such a beautiful accent in perfect English. Timea sat at the desk behind my desk, and through Professor Rupert, I discovered she had a passion for traveling and journalism. At the age of 19, she had already visited 19 countries, one country for every year. It took me a few weeks before...

Alexander’s father and grandma passed away. His marriage came to an end, he filled out the divorce paper, and then his license for pastorship gets taken away. He can no longer be a church leader; all his hard work ends like pieces of shattered glass in a mirror. What’s next in his life? Send us a text Hey, podcast fans! I've been away for a while, but I'm working hard to bring you some amazing con...

I last saw Alexander at the grocery store again on June 14, 2023. He received me with a handshake and asked how I was doing. Then he said, “It’s been a long time since I last saw you. Are you still going to Wisconsin?” he asked. I mentioned to him that I was not sure yet. I told him about my college graduation and caught up with him, telling him that sometimes in the ceremony, I would think of him...

Our date to record this podcast with Alexander was set up informally. I met him outside the grocery store, where we met for the first time. He asked me if I had any other plans for the day. I told him I had no agenda other than hearing his story. He suggested going to a Japanese restaurant and added that he would like to eat something before recording the podcast. While dining at Tokyo Garden Swee...

I was wearing a Fresno shirt when Alexander asked, “Hey, are you from Fresno?” I said, “I went to Fresno City College to study and wrestle, but I’m not from there.” Alexander, with a raspy voice said, “Oh, you’re a wrestler. I’m from Visalia.” I felt closer to him when I realized he was from the Central Valley. I was intrigued by his life story. I wanted to know why he was here in Redding, CA, and...

Alexander is a very kind, and humble man who I met at a grocery store. For personal choice he asked me if I could change his name which I have done. As this story continues, I would like to mention that I have also changed the place where we met which is the grocery store. Beyond that what he shared with me is his real life story, one that I am grateful to share with all of you. Send us a text Hey...

Welcome to our new series On the Go! Listen to life changing stories of people that I have met throughout my journey and to their answer in our theme question for this series “what are you grateful for today? Listen to the story of coach Keysaw, the head coach at Fresno City College. To Timea Horvath, a very light and kind hearted friend and classmate who I met at Simpson University..To Alexander,...

Welcome to Tavito Stories. Thank you for listening to our aspirational series. This is where the last episode of our nine-month series ends. This episode will be a full-hour podcast with Armando's friend and former wrestling teammate, where we share our thoughts on Immigration, homelessness, and giving up everything to pursue your dreams. I wanted to end the series with an uncut conversation we re...

"Life is what you make it; you have to go through the trouble and the tribulations to find joy, to reinvent, to find your passion, find your purpose"- Luna. This is where our last episode of sharing the story of Luna begins. In this episode, she will reflect on life and how kindness makes everyone else's life better. Luna will also share the meaning of art with us. Send us a text Hey, podcast fans...

Good morning everyone; welcome to Tavito Stories. Today I would like to share a bonus episode on Luna where she will share her experience attending a Christian correctional school. She will share with us how this affected her life; she will also share with us openly about drugs. As this podcast continues, I would like to mention that in Tavito Stories, I do not encourage the use of drugs. This is...

In this episode, Luna will share the story of Sally Sargent, her stepmother, where she will tell of the times when they would go to the streets of San Francisco to sell art. She will also share with us how art has helped her heal. This upcoming Monday, I will be releasing a bonus episode on Luna. Send us a text Hey, podcast fans! I've been away for a while, but I'm working hard to bring you some a...

Welcome to our second episode sharing the story of Luna. In this episode, she will share the story of the first dog she rescued and how Freedom came along after her first rescue. Throughout the episode, Luna shares how Freedom saved her life. She will also share the story of Luke, Bowie, and Dharma. As you listen, I must mention that we recorded this episode two years ago. Thank you for listening...