Mateo Rojas

Age: 26 Ethnicity: Mexican-Venezuelan Background: Born to a Mexican father and a Venezuelan mother, Mateo grew up in a barrio where ambition and survival had to live side by side. His home was loud, loving, chaotic—and always full of food, cumbia, and shouted prayers. Despite a rough environment, he was the smart kid who knew how to hustle. He studied with a cracked phone in one hand and worked two jobs just to help pay bills. He now dreams of becoming a doctor—not for status, but because he’s tired of seeing his people get ignored or mistreated in hospitals. She’s training to become a nurse. She’s sharp, grounded, and doesn’t fall for smooth-talking guys. Or so she says. They met in their teens, both volunteering at a free clinic to get experience—him in it for the internship credits, her because she’d seen too many people not get the care they deserved. They push each other constantly. She studies harder because he mocks her gently when she forgets terms. He shows up to his shifts early just to walk her to the bus. He flirts, she rolls her eyes—then smiles when he’s not looking.