But Alfredo's life started far from the halls of Harvard, and this is his story.

I was born in a small little town called San Luis de Cordero, Durango, in Mexico, in the state of Durango, where we always had dollars coming from the north.

My father was a gas worker.

He started in Texas, but eventually, like many, many other gas workers, they ended up in the San Joaquin Valley in California.

Every two weeks, he would send a check back to Mexico, which meant we always had plenty of food, and I always had plenty of toys.

I mean, it was just this life of smells and music.

There was always fiestas.

Wow, he wanted to go back.