All in a name: The new Mr. Armijo

Most people don’t like being in their siblings’ shadow, but when you are an Armijo student and your last name is Armijo, and your older brother graduated from the same high school, it’s hard to be overlooked.

Ricardo Armijo is in just that situation. His older brother, Mateo, graduated in 2016 and made several appearances in The Armijo Signal in his four years on campus. For Ricardo, this is probably his first. His younger brother Antonio will be the last of the line of Armijos at Armijo, but that’s another story altogether.

When people first hear his name, they recognize the community connection immediately. They tell him that it is “cool, interesting and ask how I’m related,” he said. “The name comes from my Dad’s side, and they’re from Denver, Colorado. I don’t know if I’m related, but we most likely are.”

He’s only a sophomore, but Armijo has already started looking at his future. While his brother was into football and even got to play in the annual Offense-Defense Bowl in Florida on New Year’s 2016, Ricardo’s talents lie elsewhere. He plans to move to Los Angeles after graduating from high school, perhaps attend college at UCLA, UC Riverside or CSU Long Beach, anywhere where he can pursue his dream. He is currently involved in dance, specifically Chapkis Dance. When it comes to listening to music, he enjoys Hip Hop, Rap and R&B.

So, does having a distinctive last name make things difficult for him? Not really. “I like my last name,” Armijo said.