“I want to be recognized around the world for building homes that are stable against major hurricanes and tornadoes. Living in this area, we see our share of storms. People pay a lot of money for their houses, and some of them can get destroyed in just a couple seconds.
“My family and I have experienced living through a hurricane. There was some flooding but, luckily, it didn’t make it into our house. We were pretty scared, though.
“When I was a little kid I used to play with construction toys. I would pretend to be a manager, telling people what to do. Now my goal is to become an architect.
“I would like to design my own home and my mom’s dream house. My home would be one story made out of brick, with my own soccer field in back. My mom and dad have always dreamed of owning a house with a beautiful clay tile roof. My mom came from Mexico, and that’s the way many of the houses there are built. One day, I hope I can make her dream come true.”
— Luis Ruiz, 21