10 Questions for 1 Alumnus: Louis Aguirre ’84

Q. What was your experience like at Belen?
A. A nurturing incubator of education and integrity that constantly challenged me to push beyond my perceived boundaries and instilled in me the confidence I needed to thrive in the world, inspiring me to strive to do great things with my life and believe it was possible. The brotherhood that was forged with my fellow classmates is an unbreakable bond that continues now 39 years later.

Q. What type of student were you?
A. I was a very good student if the subject appealed to me, and I had a talent to excel in it. I always enjoyed my English, humanities, and language courses but struggled a bit with Math and sciences. It was the exceptional teaching staff at Belen who pushed me to work that much harder with those subjects I found challenging.

Q. Can you describe one funny moment while you were a student?
A. Too many and probably not safe for publication. I do remember how much fun we had producing the Homecoming Senior Skit and seeing my fellow classmates go all out with costumes and props, letting go of their tough guy campus personas, committing to the play 100 percent no matter how far out there the role required them to go. We laughed a lot throughout the entire process, but no one enjoyed it more than our mentor and faculty producer/director, Sigrid Bango.

Q. What is one thing that you will never forget that you learned in school?
A. All is possible if you believe it and work hard toward achieving it.

Q. Who made an impact in your life?
A. Unfair to name just one. All my teachers greatly impacted me, inspired me, and pushed me to work hard, but I struggled the most during seventh grade, and I will always be grateful for the kindness and support from Fr. Luis Ripoll, S.J. ‘36. He helped me get through that first year and gave me the encouragement I needed to believe I could fit in and thrive at Belen.

Q. What do you hold most dear?
A. The friendships, the brotherhood, the Wolverine pride.

Q. How has your Jesuit education shaped and helped you in your life?
A. I sailed through university. I had the tools, skills, and study habits I needed to succeed not just in college but in life. Belen made me work for it, and it’s a work ethic that has followed me to my present career. I always reminisce about all those late-night study sessions or term paper writing until dawn whenever I find myself working through the night on assignments or producing reports. I was taught at a very young age that you have to put in the work, no matter how long it takes.

Q. What prompted you to go into the news industry?
A. I was always a ham. I loved to make speeches in front of the class, and loved producing mini-movies or newscasts with my dad’s camcorder for class projects. It was a natural progression. I knew I wrote well, and I knew I loved to work with the camera and use images and videos to tell a good story.

Q. How do you make a difference in that industry?
A. The moment I realized that my career was one of service, things really began to change for me. It was a switch that went off one day. I realized that it wasn’t what I could get from my career but how I can use my platform and voice to be of service. That was a true a-ha moment.

Q. What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing a career similar to yours?
A. Find your voice, commit to what you’re passionate about, and feel confident that God has your back, always, and that you are being supported in everything you do. Trust that what is showing up in your life is there for a reason and that you are exactly where you need to be in every moment of your life. If you can see it, you can be it. Then ask yourself, how can I use this to serve the greater good?