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Brandon Alvarez-Chavez found his passion for law enforcement during his freshman year at Sequoia High School. Now, the 18-year-old graduating senior is aiming high: He hopes to one day work for the FBI or join a K-9 unit.
Alvarez-Chavez joined the Redwood City Police Department’s Cadet Program as a freshman, giving him an early look at a possible career in law enforcement. He remembers completing a nine-week academy that required 12-hour days, starting at 6 a.m. every Sunday.
Now, he attends three-hour meetings on Tuesday nights through the program, where participants practice law enforcement work such as crash investigations and traffic stops. Alvarez-Chavez, who is eager to pursue a career in law enforcement, plans to attend California State University, San Marcos, in the fall to study criminal justice and justice studies.
Through the program, he said he has learned that if someone puts in “the work,” anything is possible. But that also requires motivation, he said, and “knowing what you wanna do.”
At Sequoia, Alvarez-Chavez was also part of the Dream Club, which connects undocumented students and community members with resources. His own parents are immigrants, and he said he looks up to them deeply.
He said his father, in particular, has shown him that the “bad things” people say about immigrants online could not be further from the truth. Alvarez-Chavez described him as a hard worker who cares about his family.
During his sophomore year, Alvarez-Chavez joined Sequoia’s Health Careers Academy, an academic program that prepares students for college-level study in health care fields. Through the academy, he said he donated blood for two years through Stanford Medicine’s blood donation service and learned how to strengthen his resume and approach a professional interview.
Alvarez-Chavez said he lives by the quote, “What you’re not changing, you’re choosing.” To him, it means that if there is “something that you don’t like — whether it’s physically, mentally,” people have the power to decide whether to change it.
Alvarez-Chavez also thanked his girlfriend, Maria, who he said has stayed by his side through life’s ups and downs.
“She’s pushed me to do things that I honestly would’ve not thought I would’ve been doing,” he said. “I think she’s my main inspiration.”
