Hugo Juarez Avalos '22

As a native of Wyandotte County, Hugo Juarez Avalos has always loved learning about other cultures. He believes that sharing ideas from diverse perspectives is key to finding common ground and overcoming differences. "That's why I feel diversity is so important. To me, it feels like it creates a better understanding of other people." 

During his senior year at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, Hugo began to think about post-graduation plans. He knew he wanted to stay local, and he knew he wanted an environment that would allow him to remain active in the community. Donnelly was among the many options Hugo considered. When he learned that he had been awarded the Henry W. Bloch Scholarship, he knew he wanted to be a Donnelly Dragon. Discovering that Donnelly had been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the Most Diverse College in the Midwest was just icing on the cake! 

Although Hugo valued diversity before he ever arrived on Donnelly’s campus, he didn’t realize how deeply it would impact him as a student. Since he started the semester, he has made many connections across campus that push him to question and learn more about the community around him. It’s made him be more open to introducing himself to his new classmates and to not be afraid to reach out and start a conversation.  

It’s experiences like this that have convinced Hugo that choosing to attend Donnelly was the right decision. This is where He knows that Donnelly is a place where he can begin to combine two of his passions—art and math— into a lifelong career. 

Hugo can trace his love of art back to his childhood days. He remembers spending his afternoon’s as a kid  painting and drawing around the house. And when he would run out of paint or his markers would run dry, he would watch a YouTube video and spend hours learning how to fold origami. No matter the medium, Hugo was just happy to create. 

It wasn’t until he started taking art classes in high school that Hugo that it was his curiosity about different media that drove his creativity. Hugo was curious to see what he could create with different items. This same curiosity is what fuels his love for math. He wants to figure out each equation and is curious to see how the numbers work. 

Hugo's love for art and math have helped him decide to pursue a career in architecture. He plans to stay near the Wyandotte County area and build new creative and community-oriented spaces to promote neighborhood growth.