Canal Alliance

David Calderon, 13, was born in Merida, in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. In Mexico, his life was dedicated to going to school and playing baseball. He lived with his mother, Alicia, his father, Rafael, and his older brother and sister. Often, he would go to his grandmother’s house where he’d spend his time playing with his cousins. His dream was to become a great baseball player. He shared this with his Uncle, who lives in the United States, and convinced him that here, there would be a lot more opportu

nities for him to succeed in both baseball and school. 

In November of 2008, after telling his parents that he wanted to move to the United States in pursuit of his dreams, they agreed and that same week he left with his mom. “I was happy and excited but at the same time felt sad because of everyone I was leaving behind,” David says. His father later came and joined David and his mom here in the U.S. His siblings, however, remain in Mexico.
David is currently an 8th Grade honor-roll student at Davidson, and attends the Canal Alliance Youth Program. He likes coming to Canal Alliance because “they help me with the homework I don’t understand.” He’s focusing on learning English, and plans to start playing baseball in the spring. His favorite subjects are English and Science, and hopes to become a doctor so that he can help others. In his spare time he enjoys being with his friends at Canal Alliance, playing video games, and playing soccer. He dreams of one day going to back to Mexico to visit his family and friends.

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