Julian Gonzalez decided to run for Prom King simply because he wanted to experience as much as possible during his senior year.
“I kind of just wanted to run for the experience, you know. It’s senior year.”
For Julian, it’s less about winning the crown and more about creating memories, trying new things, and enjoying what may be his biggest milestone in high school.
Julian is running alongside his friend Aubree Gonzales. “She asked me,” he explained. “We’ve been really good friends for a while, and then she just came up with the idea, and since we’re both seniors and we have the same last name, we just thought why not?”
The two met through football and cheer, and their friendship has grown steadily since Julian transferred to Colton in the middle of his sophomore year. Their partnership in the campaign has been a fun and natural choice, and both of them are excited to celebrate together no matter the outcome.
Football has played a big role in Julian’s campaign. As a player, he’s had a strong support system from his coach, father, teammates, and friends, many of whom have helped spread the word and encourage others to vote for him.
“I think it helped because I had a lot of support, especially from my coaches and all my friends that are in the football team,” Julian said. Still, he doesn’t want to be remembered only as the football guy. He wants people to see him as approachable, friendly, and someone who can connect with anyone.
Outside of football and prom, Julian has a strong sense of direction for his future. Inspired by his younger sister, who has autism, and his mom’s work in the community, he plans to study psychology and become a behavioral analyst.
“It’s all for her, for my little sister,” he shared. “Ever since she was born, I’ve always tried to connect with her in some way, and I realized that that’s what behavior analysts do with other kids with autism, and it inspired me.” His dream is to help children like her and to make a difference in their lives.
Though football has been his passion since childhood, Julian also has a creative side. He grew up playing the violin from the age of five until his freshman year. Though he admits football took over once high school started.
With family ties to mariachi music, he loves music and even thought about joining band at one time. His mix of discipline from football and creativity from music reflect who he is as a person: hardworking but expressive.
When asked what advice he’d give younger students, Julian kept it simple. “I say they should do everything that they can for as long as they can, because you only have four years in high school, and you got to live up to have as much fun as you can.”
For Julian, running for Prom King is just a way of living up to that advice. Win or lose, Julian is proud of putting himself out there and making his senior year truly unforgettable.