At a lacrosse camp held in Springfield, Mass.- where Amherst's Head Coach Tom Carmean was an instructor-Altreche gave the coach a first glimpse of the kind of person Altreche is. The determination and initiative that became the Altreche trademark left an indelible impression even in that first meeting.
Thinking back on the camp experience, Altreche recalled, "I remember there was this one type of shot I just couldn't save, so I asked Coach Carmean for help." Carmean spent about a half-hour firing shot after shot at Raul until he made the save. Coach Carmean described the experience in a way that anyone who knows Raul would expect. "Basically, he didn't stop during camp," Carmean explained. "Raul was there to get as much information as he possibly could from anybody who would listen. My impression was that he felt like somebody had sent him to that camp to become a better goalie, and he was going to squeeze everything he could out of every second he was there."
Altreche's tenacity carries into his life off the field. Recently, his inspiring and determined efforts were recognized when he became the first Amherst student to be honored with the 2006 NCAA Inspiration Award this past January. It could not have been given to a more deserving individual.
A sad beginning
Altretche was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York. His family moved to the borough from Puerto Rico when his grandfather-who had been working for some time as a superintendent of a Bronx apartment building-decided to send for the rest of the family. His grandmother and mother traveled to New York, and they, along with his grandfather, have had a profound impact on Altreche throughout his life.
Growing up in the Bronx had its bright and fun highlights, but also exposed Altreche to the hardship of living in a community that was deteriorating around him. The worsening living conditions and escalating unemployment forced people to turn to illicit ways of surviving. Many people were affected in Altreche's community-and no one more important than his father.
Despite efforts to keep Raul's father off the streets, the elder Altreche lost his life to AIDS when Altreche was five years old.Although Altreche's memories from that time are hazy, he remembers how his father influenced his mother. "She loved him to death. She'd pick him up wherever he was and didn't really care. She loved him until the day he died," Altreche said.
In the aftermath of his father's death, his mother, Madeline, became thinner and thinner. As a kid, Altreche wondered why she used breathing assistance tubes and a mask and why an ambulance came to take her to the hospital. His mother had also contracted AIDS. Eventually, it forced him, along with his brothers, to move to their grandfather's apartment to live with his uncles.
Still hopeful, Altreche kept in touch with his mother by phone and looked forward to the time that he would be able to spend with her after she left the hospital. Madeline did everything that she could to support the boys while they lived with their uncles, ensuring that her Social Security checks would go to her sons. The hospital personnel prevented Altreche from visiting his mother in the hospital because he was too young, but with the help of relatives and sympathetic nurses, he was able to sneak in to see his mother once in a while. The last time they met, she told him that she loved him and wanted him to "behave."
Perseverance pays off
Orphaned, Altreche and his brothers were forced to grow up quickly and deal with the necessities of life. Living with their grandmother, grandfather and an uncle in Virginia, they contended with grown-up worries like rent and bills that other children had parents to shelter them from.
Altreche's education suffered as a result of his trying situation. During his elementary years, he switched schools, had difficulty learning to read and write and lacked any semblance of a support system at school. Things turned around in junior high, when Altreche began pushing himself to improve. He met with his guidance counselor and discussed the possibility of applying to different high schools. Seeing the potential and energy that Altreche possessed, the guidance counselor recommended A Better Chance (ABC), a program designed to help disadvantaged students of color who are bright and committed to realize their intellectual potential and give them access to resources that they could only dream of in cash-strapped public schools. But getting into the program was not easy. It had a laborious application process and required Altreche to go through several interviews.
His perseverance paid off. Altreche was invited to attend the Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Conn. A life-altering opportunity, the move also provided an interesting transition from the so-called "concrete jungle" of New York City to "super-suburbia."
"It was the boondocks to me," explained Altreche. "I had barely seen trees before. It was a huge fantasy world."
Altreche made his mark early at Daniel Hand, becoming the first freshman to earn a 10.0 grade-point average, the equivalent of an A-. However, the school's socioeconomic and racial makeup created an identity issue for Altreche.
"I have had to forge my way in a world that wants to package my Latino personality into something everyone else can understand," explained Altreche. He found it difficult in his new high school environment to express who he was because students and others tended to pigeonhole him in the easiest way possible. Nonetheless, Altreche found his niche in the school when he began playing varsity sports. In fact, part of the reason he came to Amherst was the opportunity to continue his lacrosse career. "Even though I liked the intimate envorinment of the school, the experience I had with Coach Carmean also persuaded me to come to Amherst," recalls Altreche. Altreche had a profound impact on his high school. Gary Meunier, the coordinator of guidance and counseling at Daniel Hand, considers Altreche to be one of the most empowering individuals he has ever met. "He is just raw enthusiasm," explains Meunier. "He thrives on the connections he makes with people, and the more you ask of him and the deeper you go, the more you get. He's the kind of kid that makes life worth living, and that's why people like me stay in this business."
Making the most of Amherst
Altreche's experience at Amherst was equally rewarding. As a political science major with a special interest in Black Studies, Altreche is fascinated by the study of people, culture and why they think and act the way they do. However, before he was able to delve head on into the material, he had to address a deficiency that had never been adaquately addressed and one that to this day, Altreche strives to improve-his writing.
"When I handed in my first college paper, my professor laughed," remembers Altreche. "My writing was not up to par and I needed to play catch-up."
Luckily, he took classes with Professors of black studies Andrea Rushing and Rowland Abiodun, both of whom helped Altreche with his writing. As had so many others, the professors saw in Altreche what so many before them had seen: an excited and motivated person who had a yearning for personal education. "I started learning things about myself that I didn't know," explained Altreche. "Professor Rushing once told me during a meeting that I am really smart and I just have to understand that."
Taking life by the horns
Altreche is taking full advantage of the opportunities for which he has worked. As a veteran camp counselor, he hopes to make his mark on the non-profit sector of summer camps and literacy programs. After spending last summer at Face to Face in Mt. Kisco, NY serving underpriviliged immigrants, Altreche will work this summer at Camp Rising Sun, a camp that brings together disenfranchised children from all over the country. He has obvious skill in bringing out confidence in others, "He is one of the most caring individuals I have ever met," says Co-Director of Face to Face Stephen Rediker. "He is the kind of person that takes charge of any situation-either with compassion and inspiration or self-reliance. Raul was one of the most driven and dedicated individuals that I have ever worked with."
Despite the fact that Altreche has no definitive plans for after the summer, he remains intent on forwarding his goal in life. There is no doubt that he will meet with great success. "I want to learn from other people and experiences," he explains. "This is what I need to continue doing in order to understand myself better."
What Altreche has offered his family, high school, college, teachers, friends and peers will live on within them forever. Hopefully, Amherst will have another student who cares as much about the world around him as Altreche does, and is as motivated and determined to persevere, despite unthinkable odds.