Fabrizio Aguirre, '14
When Aguirre was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2002, he and his parents found a community in the international Junior Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Today, they play major roles in the organization — Aguirre’s father, Fernando, serves on the board, while his mother, Citali, organizes the Cincinnati JDRF Gala each year.
Aguirre quickly followed in his parents’ footsteps, serving as a representative of Ohio at the 2004 JDRF Children’s Congress and designing a JDRF bowtie with former football linebacker Dhani Jones for his nonprofit organization, Bow Tie Cause.
“These experiences have been rewarding because I enjoy being able to move forward in the cause of finding a cure for diabetes,” Aguirre says. “It's especially personal, no matter how big or small of a role I play.”
On top of his volunteer work with JDRF, Aguirre also managed to dedicate significant time to cultivating his lacrosse career. First introduced to the game in sixth grade by his brother, Aguirre served as senior captain on his high school team and played on a summer club team, the Cincinnati Riot, which traveled to summer tournaments up and down the East Coast. As he was exploring his college options, Aguirre wanted to continue playing lacrosse competitively, but also was looking for a school with strong academics.
The University of Richmond’s growing varsity club lacrosse program and academic reputation proved to be the right balance for Aguirre. “When I was making my decision about where I wanted to go to school, Richmond was one of the only schools that made an impression on me,” Aguirre says. “The good academics [were important], but also because of the highly competitive club lacrosse program.”
Now a sophomore in his second year playing club lacrosse, Aguirre continues to put his natural leadership to use as a member of the lacrosse team’s leadership council. Each year, one freshman is appointed to be on the team’s leadership council for the remainder of his club lacrosse career — a career that, for Aguirre, is set to be full of exciting advancements in the program.
“The best part about being on the team is the leaps and bounds that the program is making,” he says. “It's exhilarating to think that within five or 10 years, Richmond lacrosse will be able to compete with other [national] programs.”