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It’s been 78 days since Donald Trump returned to office. And already, the damage feels familiar—fast, loud, and designed to exhaust.
We’ve seen institutions bend. Guardrails break. Decades of progress were dismissed with the stroke of a pen. But this isn’t just about policy shifts or political theater.
This is about the kind of country we’re choosing to become.
And for me, it’s personal.
The Promise I Was Born Into
I’m the first-born son of Filipino immigrants. My parents came to America in the late ’60s, escaping poverty and division. They believed in the idea of this place—that if you worked hard, kept your head down, and helped others along the way, you could build a life.
That belief brought us here. But lately, I’ve felt that promise unraveling.
When the World Started to Feel Different
Last week, I had lunch with several leaders from Serra High School (San Mateo, CA) —the school that first opened doors for me. They took a chance on a kid from San Francisco through their tuition assistance program. I didn’t visit campus until the first day of class. It was 22 miles away and might as well have been another planet.
Junipero Serra High School 1991-1992 School Year Book
That school changed my trajectory. But it also opened my eyes.
Circa 1990, School of Epiphany, SF.
At Epiphany, my Catholic grade school, we didn’t think about race. Filipino, Irish, Chinese, Latino—we were just kids. But Serra was different. The lunchroom had invisible lines. So did the basketball courts. And in places like that, you either stood out or got pushed out.
I learned quickly how power and perception worked.
I spent two hours a day on the bus and worked 15 to 20 hours a week to help cover tuition. It wasn’t easy, but I stayed in it. I made it work. And honestly, I came to enjoy those long rides—shared with a few friends who, like me, were part of the tuition assistance program. We were figuring it out together.
By sophomore year, I caught a break. I landed a job as a clubhouse attendant for the San Francisco Giants—a behind-the-scenes role that taught me discipline, timing, and how to earn trust without saying much.
By senior year, I found myself managing one of San Francisco’s first virtual reality centers—decades before the metaverse became a buzzword. I didn’t know it then, but I was already working at the intersection of service, tech, and hustle—learning how to adapt, lead, and build something real from almost nothing.
Those early jobs weren’t glamorous—but they taught me the value of being in the room, even if you weren’t invited.
Coming Full Circle
Later, I found my way to the University of San Francisco. If you’ve followed my journey, you already know how much that place shaped me. It gave me language for what I’d lived—the tension between opportunity and survival, between blending in and holding your ground.
Today, I’m back at USF, but I'm also helping build the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Initiative. We’re creating space for students from all backgrounds to test ideas, launch ventures, and feel seen without needing permission to belong.
It’s quiet work. Purposeful. And for me, deeply personal.
Why These 78 Days Matter
That’s why this moment stings. Because I’ve seen what happens when people invest in potential. And I know what gets lost when leadership chooses fear over vision.
This isn’t just political. It’s moral.
What we allow now will shape who gets to dream later.
The America my parents believed in—and the one I want my children to inherit—won’t build itself. It takes work, memory, and people willing to keep showing up.
We’re at the edge of something right now. And what we build—or let fall apart—will say everything about who we are.
If this landed with you, feel free to share. Or reply—I read everything.
xoxo,
Maximillian Diez
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P.S. Stay with me on this journey.
If nothing else, thanks for reading.
