When Alberto discovered that he was moving to the States, he "didn't believe it at first". Leaving behind his long-time friends was incredibly emotional and difficult.

Alberto, his sister (Maria Luisa), and his mother moved to Needham on August 29th, 2017. They came seeking greater financial opportunities and with additional hopes of allowing Maria Luisa to play soccer at the next level.

They chose Needham as their new home because here is where Alberto's mother's college roommate, Julie Stevens, lives. In addition, Alberto has an aunt who lives in Newton. Needham had a lot to offer, with a great soccer program and an even better public school system.

The day they moved also happened to be the eve of the first day of school. Alberto recalls that day, saying, "I got here at 9 pm, then went straight to sleep because I was so tired from all the moving. The next day I woke up and went straight to school”. Alberto's first day as a US resident doubled as his first day as an eighth-grader at Pollard Middle school.

This adjustment was certainly overwhelming and chaotic for Alberto. He says the most difficult part was leaving behind his friends and family in Puerto Rico: "Everyone stayed behind, my friends, my grandparents, my dad, my cousins, my whole family. They all live over there, and that was the hardest".

Alberto had been to the US before, but only on vacation to places like Disney, Yellowstone, Alaska, and Seattle. Alberto says, “When you’re on vacation, you think a lot higher of the place you’re visiting. That’s what happened here in the US. I thought this place was going to be great. Going to be paradise. Going to be epic. I thought we would instantly become better as a family financially, and immediately have more opportunities. We did, but it wasn't as profound as I expected”

Nevertheless, Alberto managed to appreciate the benefits that emerged. He is grateful for "the opportunities [he has] to become a better person. [He] can go to school for free, and have the same education without paying twelve grand a year for private school".

Alberto's family also moved just two weeks before the disastrous Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. He is thankful that his family avoided the hardship that would have resulted from this devastating storm.

Although he now lives in an entirely different country, Alberto enjoys some of the same things he used to. One of these things is soccer. After facing a devastating ACL injury during freshman year, Alberto, unfortunately, couldn't play for a while. However, he made up for the lost time by becoming a manager of the Needham High School boys varsity soccer team as a senior.

In the fall of 2022, Alberto will attend Babson College in Wellesley, MA to study Business in the entrepreneurship field.