Photo courtesy of Alex Edwin ’19 | Alex Edwin ’19, this year’s The Roundup Man of the Year, poses for a photo.

By Jack Davis ’19

THE ROUNDUP

At the Foundation For Blind Children’s front desk stands Alex Edwin ’19, who is often a source of positivity and helpfulness for any patient that strolls through the door. 

Edwin has been named a finalist for The Roundup’s 2019 Man of the Year award.

“Alex is a great guy but not someone that is always rewarded for his efforts,” said Matt Scheller ’19. “I think that something like this is a great thing for Brophy to recognize Alex.”

“I’ve known Alex for several years now, but I’ve gotten to know him a lot better this year specifically,” Scheller added. “We go to the same site, Foundation for Blind Children, and I also led Kairos with him this year.”

Edwin said that he was very excited but also very surprised to be named a finalist.

“The overarching emotion was one of humility,” he said. “I was very humbled by the fact that my peers look up to me in the sense that they’d be willing to consider me the Man of the Year.” 

“It’s something that every single guy on that list undoubtedly deserves, so I think that my traits are in no way higher than any other guys’,” Edwin added.

Aidan Rowland ’19, who has rowed with Edwin for three years, said that he was not surprised by the nomination.

“His work ethic, his positivity, his drive for success—he’s so friendly to everyone he meets and anyone he talks to puts a smile on his face,” he said.

Edwin said that he tries to bring joy to everyone he encounters each day.

“I feel like, in that sense, maybe I was recognized for trying to bring a good positive spirit to the classroom, to my athletics, and to other extracurriculars,” he said.

Edwin also said that he has made his academic performance a priority at Brophy.

“Not only just to get good grades, but to really find an interest in the subjects I’ve engaged in,” Edwin said. “The passion for knowledge goes a lot farther than the passion for a high GPA and I think it will carry me a lot more in the long run.”

Rowland and Edwin share an affinity for rowing.

“Last year, we decided to make a push to go to nationals which was in New Jersey,” Rowland said. “We woke up at every morning and practiced at 5 AM on the lake. We went back to the lake at 3:30 and practiced until 6:30. We had two-a-days over spring break so we didn’t leave. All of that manifested itself to a trip across the country to row. We were the only boat west of Pennsylvania to row in the finals.”

“We had so much fun that we decided to do it again this year,” Rowland added. “We have even bigger goals this year. In the boat, he keeps everyone focused and he’s always there. You can really rely on him. His technique is crazy. He is an outstanding kid.”

Edwin said that his family life has been a challenge for him during his time in high school.

“My parents don’t really talk much, and that’s been one of the struggles that I’ve had through Brophy,” Edwin said. “My parents don’t really communicate with my sister and myself. Brophy pulls you away from your family at times if you’re not cognizant of that.”

Edwin said that he has found joy in developing a stronger faith at Brophy.

“Coming to Brophy, that wasn’t necessarily something at the forefront of my mind but with Kairos and taking the Honors Ignatian Class and Romero Program … I definitely think that my faith plays a central role in my time at Brophy,” he said.

Scheller led a Kairos retreat alongside Edwin and Dr. Tom Donlan.

“We met many times before … we felt super prepared, and we felt like we could put our best effort forward,” Scheller said.

Scheller works with Edwin at the Foundation For Blind Childrena bit repetitive, albeit in a different area.

“Alex and I work in two different areas,” he said. “I work in the braille center, helping them transcribe textbooks. Alex works in the clinic, whether they’re students at FBC or adult patients, with diagnosing or treating any of their visual impairments.”

“That’s really cool because Alex is thinking of being a doctor and potentially helping people with visual impairments,” Scheller added. “I can tell he’s really passionate about his time in the clinic.”

Edwin has strabismus, an eye condition that has affected his vision and has caused him to see double at times.

He said that his time at the Foundation with similar people has humbled him.

“It’s made me more passionate about the work,” Edwin said.

Edwin hopes to attend Santa Clara University but is also considering Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University.