Santiago Gayón Introduction

Sagrada Familia. More than 100 years since it
started being built.

Hello! First of all I want to say I’ve had a really busy summer and have not had much time to spend with my friends. For this reason, I thought I would never say it but I am really excited to start school again. As hard as it might be to believe, coming to school feels like a break from all the other responsibilities I have.

My name is Santiago but you can call me Santi if you’d like. I like them both. I was born in Mexico City “the most beautiful of Sunday mornings” (or so says my mom) on November 17^th, 1996 where I lived for the first 9 years of my life. At age 9, I moved to Spain where my mom and my whole family on her side are from. As hard of a transition as this was, it didn’t take me long to make new friends and adapt to my new country. While living there, I developed a love for fishing. Every day after school I used to go down to the dock and fish until the sun went down. At first, I started going by myself but a couple of months after we were a group of six going fishing every day. I also really enjoyed playing tennis and played a couple tournaments while living there.

Park Güell @Barcelona

After four years of living in Spain, I moved here to San Diego to live with my dad. Many people often ask me where I like it better to what I always answer “hmmm… not sure”. There are pros and cons to every place. For example, there is no food like the authentic Mexican food, but living in a city with almost 9 million people can get a little overwhelming. You know… making two hours to get to school and two hours to get back home everyday wasn’t really that fun. Spanish food is ok, but their lifestyle is something else. For example, they literally have a national naptime in which every store closes from about 2pm to 5pm. Restaurants are more generous and remain open until 3pm before the employees go home and take a nap. So if you wanted to eat somewhere else other than McDonald’s (which by the way, sold beer), you had to eat before 2. Another thing worth nothing about their lifestyle is that they drink alcohol consistently throughout the day… and it’s so cheap. I remember having to pay extra for wanting to substitute the cup of wine my meal included for a Sprite. I won’t say much about USA because you are all from here but I am extremely happy and grateful to be living here.

How people party in Spain. Out on the streets until 4am
 or so when they head to the club for a couple hours.

I am currently a Junior and have studied here ever since I graduated from Olympian High School in the Sweetwater Union District down in Chula Vista. I am a finance major, and the reason for that is that I enjoy studying specific, objective, binary, right-or-wrong topics rather than those in the abstract zone such as art or music where opinion and subjectivity are of great importance (perhaps that’s why I never was such a great writer). I also love managing risks as much as I love making money. Emphasis on “making”. Don’t get me wrong, I also like spending it but making it has been a passion I’ve had every since I was little. I remember finding ways to grow the $1 dollar my mom gave me every week when I was eight. For example: I bought supplies to make bracelets and sold them at school for about 10 times the cost price. Some other time, I bought two guinea pigs for about $5 each and ended up having about 30 six months after which I sold for $3 a piece in a black market at my elementary. Eight year old me didn't know incestuous breeding was a thing though, sorry guinea pigs.

Santander. The city where I lived for 4 years.

 One of the things I enjoy the most is traveling. Lucky for me there are four pilots in my family so this has given me the chance to visit many countries throughout the world but definitely still have a whole lot to go. Another hobby that I am getting into is motorcycling. I recently got my permit as well as a motorcycle and after riding for about two weeks I can honestly say it is a unique experience. Many people are skeptical about giving it a try for how dangerous it is, but the benefits it provides are definitely worth the risks. If you ever consider it, give it a try! And if you already ride, hit me up!

My ultimate goal after I graduate college is to land a job at a hedge fund, which is a place where you invest other people's money (hopefully making them a profit) and charge a commission for it. Like I said, I love managing risks and risk is a big factor to consider when investing.

Anyway, I don’t have much else to tell you about myself. I put some pictures of Spain throughout the text so you don't get bored from reading it. I look forward to meeting some of you guys and good luck this new school year!