Theo was born in Guatemala in 2006 and was adopted by his adoptive mother at 8 months old. He lives in Bethesda with his mother and two dogs, Lucy and Fern, and goes to Walt Whitman High School, Class of 2025.
He enjoys whitewater kayaking, biking, and fishing. He often takes younger kids out on these excursions to share his passion for the outdoors. Recently he volunteered to be a chaperone kayaker for a group of inner city youth who had never been on the water before, let alone moving water.
He has a strong sense of social justice and has attended several BLM protests through his Church and with peers. He is very passionate about music and writes raps as a way of expressing how he feels about the world and about himself. Theo is a strong presence in his Bethesda neighborhood and is always ready to lend a hand, often helping out at the weekly farmer’s market, doing odd jobs for elderly neighbors, dressing up as the Easter Bunny at the little kid Easter Egg hunt and planting trees on Earth Day. Many in his neighborhood refer to him as “the Mayor of Brookmont”.
Theo has been to Guatemala several times since coming to the United States to experience his birth country, one time staying for a month as an attempt to learn Spanish. Despite language lessons every day, both he and his mom came home knowing little Spanish but having met wonderful people and made lifelong memories. Right before the pandemic Theo and his mom visited Guatemala to meet his birth family including his birthmother, half brothers and sisters, and cousins. It was a joyous meeting. He stays in touch through social media. Theo wants to make his first international trip post pandemic to Guatemala to see them again.