Senior Joao Carlos Andrade  has a love for soccer that burns nearly as bright as his love for the Abington Community.

Andrade said his passion for soccer is “the only thing in the world that can make me sad and happy at the same time. I was born watching and playing soccer.  At my home in Brazil it was a tradition every Sunday for me, my Pops, and my Grandpa, to watch the Flamengo of Brazil (The Brazilian team we love) together in our living room. It is a difficult passion to explain, I have been suffering too much not being able to watch soccer with this pandemic.”

Upon arriving in Abington, Andrade credits sports as a big help in getting him acclimated to the area.  He said, “Soccer helped me a lot in my communication and I was able to return to playing competitively, something I hadn’t done in a long time.”

Andrade said his passion for soccer, “provided me with great friendships and countless special moments in my life.”

As much as Andrade loves soccer, equally important to his AHS experience, have been the great friends and great staff he has gotten to know here. Andrade said, “I’ve made great Brazilian and North American friends at school.  The AHS staff have surprised me a lot with the support and patience they have with us as immigrants. It is interesting, and it helps us a lot. I would like to thank all the teachers, counselors, nurses, and cafeteria staff for the best two years I have been able to have with such wonderful people. If it were not for you guys, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

Andrade believes that his relationships in Abington have been so lucrative because of his ability to listen. Andrade said,  “I always listen to what my teachers have to say, because they have more experience than me. I believe that by listening to more experienced people, I’ve managed to evolve a lot and be who I am.”

Reflecting on everything that he has been able to take away from the Abington community and his experience in the US overall.  Andrade said that coming from “a city with very few opportunities, all the opportunities I’ve gotten here in the US, have made me try to be my best and to get better every day. It’s made me a stronger person.”

Looking to his future aspirations, Andrade said, “In the future, I plan to be a soccer coach at AHS.” Andrade also wants “to travel a lot, get a good job, visit Brazil in a few years, and earn my own house and family.  I have some dreams to realize,”  he said.