Drive, Determination, and Ambition
Abraham Franco-Hernandez, Nativity Prep Class of 2015, is a border-town kid through and through. With family and friends living in Tijuana and San Diego, Abraham spent equal amounts of time on both sides of the border experiencing two rich and diverse cultures which formed who he is today. Abraham’s upbringing is an inspiring one. Growing up with his mom Elvia, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Abraham had a loving and nurturing home life where he was taught important morals which he continues to follow and value. In hindsight, Abraham looks at his unique childhood with love and appreciation. When Abraham’s parents were young, their families moved from Guadalajara to Tijuana, which is where they settled. Elvia looked for a job and ultimately worked as a corrections officer which ended up leading her and her family to move to the United States. Abraham looks back at his time in San Diego and Tijuana with fondness. As he reflects on his childhood, he says he took being so immersed in two very different cultures for granted. After meeting new peers in college from various backgrounds, he realized that his childhood was very special.
Making sure faith was incorporated into Abraham’s academics was nonnegotiable for his family. Elvia not only wanted Abraham to grow academically but as a person too. Although Abraham did not attend Nativity Prep’s middle school as a 6th grader, he enjoyed his experience in the 7th and 8th grades. The longer school days and extended academic years were challenging and strenuous for Abraham at first, not to mention the lack of air conditioning at our previous campus! But, like most new Nativity Prep students, he became accustomed to the rigorous demand and high expectations. Joining sports teams, specifically soccer and basketball, helped Abraham make close friends, easing the transition into his new community.
In addition to athletics and other extracurricular activities, one of Abraham’s most memorable takeaways was a life skills class incorporated into the regular school curriculum. He learned about organization, time management, and how to prioritize. Abraham recognizes now that this resource is not provided to most students, especially in their middle school years.
Abraham shares, “I saw they cared so much about making sure you were a good candidate for high school. I also bought into that mentality and I totally changed the way I cared about academics.” As he reflects on his time at Nativity Prep, he realizes that this was the turning point for how much he values education. This is where he realized that drive, determination, and ambition are the key to success, not just in academics but in life.
The AMIGOS Mentoring Program was an impactful experience for Abraham as well. Jeff Bradley, a longtime Nativity Prep community member, mentored Abraham and built a strong relationship. When he first met Jeff, Abraham was “caught off guard” by Jeff’s wisdom. Abraham appreciates and values Jeff’s perspective on life. Jeff shares, “I was blessed to be Abraham’s mentor at Nativity Prep. Abraham was not only very intelligent, but mature, polite, interesting, and interested. We stayed in contact during his high school years and I accompanied him to the University of Norte Dame for a visit [during] his senior year at Saints. I cannot overstate what a good person he is, how proud I am of him, and how he has made the best of the talents that God gave him. He is just what you would like your own son to be.”
Abraham shared a meaningful anecdote about his and Jeff’s mentorship. In middle school, Abraham told Jeff that he would be happy once he was offered admission to St. Augustine High School. In high school, all he wanted was to be accepted into a well-respected university. In college, he shared with Jeff that he would be happy once he was offered an internship. Jeff pointed out this continuing pattern of Abraham wanting more. It led Abraham to really reflect on what he wanted and not to compare himself to others.
After graduating from Nativity Prep in 2015, Abraham attended St. Augustine High School where he was involved in athletics and the Loyal Sons of St. Augustine, which was a group of student representatives. He also excelled academically and maintained a 4.0 grade point average all four years! As his high school experience was coming to a close, he applied to a number of schools including UCLA, UCSD, Fordham University, Villanova University, and USC to name a few, but finally chose the University of Notre Dame.
As a college student, Abraham double majored in Psychology and Economics with a minor in Accounting. He was involved in the Corporate Finance Club, the Student International Business Council, and was a Teaching Assistant for an Intermediate MicroEconomics class. He also studied abroad during the spring semester of his junior year in London, England through Notre Dame’s Global Gateway program. While abroad, he has also visited Spain, Italy, France, and Monaco!
Abraham spent a summer as an intern for Walmart’s corporate division which led him to secure a full-time spot in the company’s Accounting and Finance Development Program. During this two-year program in Arkansas, Abraham will gain experience in strategy, accounting, finance, and data governance. Now as a University of Notre Dame alum, he is excited to start his professional career and is looking forward to where life will take him. With his persistence and initiative, we are excited to see Abraham’s journey!
