My Interview With Mr. Santiago Sotelo!!

 

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Santiago Sotelo, right now is a 21 year old college student from Morristown N.J., but that's not nearly as interesting as where he is going. With a love for film and television and a passion for travel, this man with clear love and determination in his heart, will be doing great things behind the scenes with his camera. As Sotelo gains experience in sports filming and interviewing, he can see himself doing this for the rest of his life and hopefully in Europe somewhere focusing on soccer.

Having grown up in Morristown New jersey to Colombian parents, his first language growing up was Spanish and he has visited Colombia, “Ever since I was a year old.” Both his parents are from Montenegro Colombia, which Sotelo tells me, is about a two hour drive from the city of Cali. Sotelo was very adamant and proud when I asked him if he was Hispanic replying, “Yes, I am Hispanic! 100% Colombian to be exact haha.” The earliest memory that he recalls is from a trip in 2006, a tourist attraction theme park known for their coffee. Sotelo recalls it being, “really really fun.” Specifically, he recalls being at the very top of one of the attractions and seeing a beautiful and calm vista that stretched for miles. He has been going back every summer and/or every two years and has done so about eight or nine times. 

Sotelo is very much a family man who’s favorite month is December because he enjoys spending the holidays with his family. When asked who he admires he says his mother and her being an “MVP,” and describers her as a strong, resilient, and an amazingly caring individual. 

Having traveled to Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and London he finds a true attraction to travel and hopes to be able to do so with his future career goals. I was able to interview two of his friends, and when asked about where they think their friend will be and/or achieve with his career, they responded with great support. Mike says, “I feel like he can be a very good sports broadcaster. He has a lot of passion for sports like soccer, basketball, and football and as he continues on, I feel like he could do really great things.” And Tommy says, “I can see him filming big movies or TV shows.” 

Both individuals continued to praised Sotelo as they described him and their many years of friendship. As I interviewed Sotelo, he expressed how he felt, “intelligent,” “funny,” and “loyal” were the best words to describe himself and hopefully how he’s remembered. Mike couldn’t agree more saying, “I would definitely agree with those, he’s been my friend since the second grade so I feel like he checks the boxes for those for sure.” And Tommy stating, “I’d agree. He’s basically been like that for as long as I’ve known him.” 

While having worked in retail and volunteering to help kids in after school programs that had given Sotelo lots of useful knowledge and experience, nothing compared to actually filming sporting events. After having received his Associates degree in Media Production, a professor that, “grew on me” overtime, provided him with an opportunity that he could’t refuse. From November until the covid pandemic swept the nation around March 2020, he was filming everything from football, to hockey, to baseball, and swimming, but no soccer just yet. Filming and posting game interviews from high schools around the area, was something he was enjoying and allowing him to gain more knowledge and experience in the very thing that attracts him most between his love for filming and sports. 

When I spoke to him, he told me that he really enjoyed the outdoors and hanging out with his friends. That, back in Colombia as a child, he had a cow, horse, and a pig for a short time. He explained how he would read a lot as a child, but suddenly became perplexed and stoped to think for a second. He marveled as to why he stoped reading so much and started watching more television. With his expression of love for the behind the scenes and all the work that goes into media production, I believe it was no coincidence that Sotelo fell into the arms of TV and film, it was destiny. 

As we shared many laughs and vulnerable moments through our cell phone screens via FaceTime, what became adamantly clear, was Sotelo’s true loving, caring nature, and passion for the career he wishes to pursue. And I am more than certain that he will strive and achieve amazingly beautiful things. 

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