On August 28th, Redwood students David Mejia ‘27, Carlocesar Luna ‘26, Jesus Valencia ‘26, and Daniel Baltazar-Nunez ‘26 showed what it meant to be a true Ranger at Casa Grande by celebrating the birthday of Ms. Judy’s mother.
By: Alex Neal
In a year there are 365 days, sometimes 366. And one of those days is your birthday.
On your birthday you can celebrate with friends, family, and loved ones, and sometimes people you don’t know may join in your celebration.
That’s what four Redwood students did on August 28th.
Ms. Judy, a Redwood staff member, was celebrating her mother’s birthday at Casa Grande when four boys from Redwood walked into Casa Grande singing while playing their instruments.
Jesus Valencia, ‘26, said, “We were playing in the hallway and she asked us if we could go play for her. And we said yeah, for the kindness of it.”
Daniel Baltazar-Nunez, ‘26, said, “[We did it] for the experience, and because Ms. Judy is very, very kind. She helps out a lot.”
They wanted to do something kind for Ms. Judy, because of how kind she’s been to them. They wanted to repay her for her kindness and do something kind for her.
Ms. Judy’s mother, Mejia, and Valencia
Photo courtesy of Ms. Judy
Carlocesar Luna, ‘26, said, “I play the guitar and I dance. David and Jesus [are] the ones who sing.”
They all participated in celebrating the birthday of Ms. Judy’s mother. It was a choice they made, it’s something they wanted to do because it was kind and could make someone’s day even greater.
David Mejia, ‘27, said, “Outside the restaurant, we were practicing and everything to not mess up in our voice, in my voice, and in their playing of the instrument, the guitar, yeah. So I did prepare a little bit.”
Baltazar-Nunez said, “[We practiced] together for like a few months. And then, yeah, we’re very excited for the opportunity.”
They put in a lot of effort to make sure that they didn’t mess up. They wanted to make sure that everything went right and everything went as planned.
Mejia said the song they were playing was called “Las Mañanitas.”
“Las Mañanitas” is considered a birthday song and is popular in Mexico. It’s typically sung to a person in the early part of the morning.
Valencia said, “We sang to her in Spanish.” Later on, he also said, “It made us feel good. It felt good making her happy. It looked like she liked it.”
Luna also said, “I think it made her feel good because in the video she was like tearing up a little bit.”
The four boys felt good because they were able to make this birthday memorable. They made someone feel good because of their actions.
Alex Neal
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