Storytime with LOFE: Samuel Mendez

LOFE family, meet Samuel Mendes. He is a full-time student at the University of North Texas. When he’s not going through the everyday grind of a college student, he enjoys using his free time to work out and play sports such as football or soccer. He also holds a real estate license, a rarity for someone his age. It says a lot about his drive and determination to forge a path in something that he is passionate about.

Samuel's path to get to this point in his life has not been an easy one. While he was in high school, his stepfather, who had raised him throughout his teenage years and played the role of a father figure to him, passed away. This loss left him distraught and confused in ways he couldn't imagine. Like most of us in a time of grief, he knew he needed to gain strength from someone or something other than himself. Through all the pain he experienced, he was able to lean on family and friends who helped him grieve and focus on the things he loved to do in order to get his mind off the painful loss. He went on to finish his high school football season and graduate high school before heading to the University of North Texas.

Samuel believes his purpose is to spread the word of God while helping those in his community because he understands what it feels like to grow up in a world less fortunate than others and the importance of those who helped him and his family along the way. At some point, Samuel wants to donate to his former high school, his football team, and the community he grew up in. He also wants to be able to advocate for men dealing with mental health issues, especially when it comes to dealing with and overcoming grief, in hopes that they don't go through what he had to.

We admire Samuel's strength and determination to overcome and keep pushing forward, which, in most cases, can be the most challenging part of the process. His story is filled with inspiration in many ways and teaches that no matter what we're going through, giving up is never an option.