Ernest Alvarez Chedzoy
Kerrville, Texas
Class of 2027
Why did you choose Central?
I chose Central for several reasons like the academics and opportunity to continue playing tennis, but at the end of the day it stuck out as the place I wanted to live for four years because of the atmosphere and the kind of people I’d be surrounded by. I applied to nearly twenty colleges and Central had the most welcoming vibe, something I was really looking for in a college. Every interaction I had with faculty, students at the time or admissions left me feeling super optimistic and when the choice came down to it, that swayed me.
Favorite professor and why?
My favorite professor is either Dr. Yanner or Dr. Kleven, I’m an accounting major but have had each of them for elective classes and had extremely positive experiences in each class. I have a lot of respect and admiration for both of them and it was a privilege to get to listen to their lectures and discuss topics in class that were different from the content in my other classes and tested my brain in a different way.
You’re majoring in accounting because?Â
I’m majoring in accounting because I’ve always been really big into crunching numbers, I love watching baseball (Go Yankees) and frequently check out the statistics that go with it or any other sport. That combined with the concept of balance in accounting, which sticks in my brain well, led me to this major. I had no idea what I wanted to do up until spring of my senior year and zero accounting experience coming into college, but soon into the coursework I felt like I was enjoying it and picking things up well, so it feels like the gamble is paying off.
Besides athletics, what else are you involved in on campus?
I attend FCA when I have a free Tuesday night and am loosely involved with a couple other organizations when I have the time. Unfortunately, homework and exams never end so outside of practice and class I don’t always have the time to dedicate to other things I’m passionate about on campus.
Who are your go-to musical artists?
Tyler, the Creator is probably my most frequent listen, there isn’t a single song that I don’t like on any of his last three albums, I’m hoping to go to a concert of his over the summer. I also really enjoy music from Travis Scott, Mac Miller, Don Toliver, and Frank Ocean, as well as Frank Sinatra or Zach Bryan for some variety.
How has attending Central and playing a sport impacted your life?
Playing tennis at Central has been awesome, the second I stepped on campus it helped me make connections with my teammates, making me feel comfortable instantly despite a change of scenery. Now those guys are some of my closest friends and are like brothers to me. On top of that, following high school I wasn’t sure if I’d want to keep playing tennis until I got here and discovered a new love for the game, which was extremely special after questioning my willingness to keep playing.
What do you miss the most from Texas?
Well, I miss the hot summers when it’s blizzarding here in Iowa. Most of all though I miss my friends from home, it isn’t often that I get to go visit them as I don’t live in Texas anymore even when I’m not at Central, so I take any chance I can to go see them and return to a familiar environment. Besides that, I really miss breakfast tacos, which were a staple in the mornings before exams or tennis matches and just can’t be found up here.
Favorite professional tennis player?
My favorite professional tennis player growing up had always been Rafael Nadal, so seeing him retire this year definitely had me tearing up a bit. He’d been playing since before I was born so getting to watch his matches for nearly twenty years was routine and I’ll miss that a lot. My current favorite player on tour is probably Tommy Paul, but the future is super bright with Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien, so I’m excited to see them keep improving.
What kind of phone was your first one?
My first phone was an iPhone SE, it wasn’t good for much besides texting and calling which was certainly a strategic choice by my parents.
Teammate who should be on America’s Got Talent and for what?
Ayden Fletcher for speaking in European accents during our matches despite growing up in Tennessee.
Favorite TV Show
I really like the show Bleach, one of my best friends put me on it and I got hooked. The main character is really cool with an insane story and some of the original soundtracks are just awesome too. It isn’t ever my first recommendation because it’s about 300 episodes long, but it’s so worth the watch.
What’s it like to compete for Coach Ferrell?
Competing for Coach Ferrell is awesome, he’s a huge reason why I wanted to be at Central and play tennis. He expects the best from all of us on the team, knowing exactly how hard to push us and each one of us gives our best in return. Besides helping with my mental and physical tennis game, he’s somebody that I respect and trust a lot off court, always making time to talk about what’s going on in the craziness of everyday life. He’s been a huge mentor to me, and I always appreciate his honest attitude towards tennis and life.
What’s your favorite part about being a member of the Central men’s tennis team?
I love all the guys on the team, that’s the biggest thing for me. Regardless of the team’s big size this year, I know that at any given moment I could see any one of them while walking across campus and it would bring a smile to my face. I feel like we’re a super close group despite all having really diverse personalities and everyday I’m just excited to go to practice and see all my friends there, it’s always a highlight of my day.
What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
Ideally 10 years from now I’ll have my CPA license, either working at a public accounting firm or working on starting my own firm, settled into a comfortable house near a lake somewhere where it rains a lot, with a big lawn for my future dog(s) to run around. No big plans for those years yet unfortunately, the 30s will be for working hard to get to relax and travel a lot later in my life.
Favorite food from Central Market
CTO Omelets never miss, easily the undisputed GOAT of the Market. Country-fried steak is my go-to whenever it’s served at lunch and I’ll also show some love to CTO pancakes in the mornings, those are awesome.
Bucket list
I’d really like to travel all around Europe, Asia and northern Africa, specifically Spain, Italy, Morocco, Iceland, Turkey, South Korea and Japan. The history and culture of humanity that comes from those parts of the world is fascinating to me, there’s just so much that happened there that led to us being here today, and I want to experience and learn all that I can about those places. I’d also really like to attend all the Grand Slam tennis tournaments and as many of the Formula One races as I can.
