What's in a Name?

Guillermo Villarreal

Guillermo Villarreal – Native American/Irish (mother); Mexican (father); Agreeable, respectful, and easy to talk to, Guillermo Villarreal is a thoughtful, down-to-earth, and kindhearted youth who has a sensible outlook on life. Having recently parted ways with a raven-haired girl named Nereyda, he encounters Naomi Nichols at Northeastern University after being introduced to her by Shelby Doherty. He is curious, determined, and bright and has hopes of becoming a sports psychologist, with the intention of combining his love of keeping active with helping others. He is generally grounded and pragmatic and is often patient to a fault, although like anyone else, he too tends to have his limits. Practical, articulate, and wise beyond his years, Guillermo is described as a good communicator with a level head on his shoulders. He has more mature interests than many of his peers and is usually responsible and hard-working, often taking ownership of his actions and readily admitting to his faults during an argument. Like Naomi, he tends to be somewhat of a homebody and tends to keep to himself when confronted with group situations, yet he is more apt to speak up and act decisively than she is under certain conditions. Although he prefers to go with the flow and confront life with flexibility, he is not averse to taking charge of things however and will voluntarily take leadership roles if needed. Guillermo has somewhat of a calming vibe as well and can easily handle unexpected events and strenuous circumstances, having significant emotional strength and seldom cracking under pressure. He also doesn't have strong opinions regarding religion and unlike Naomi was not always open to the existence of a higher power. He openly questioned and challenged some of her beliefs and perceptions when she was briefly involved with a local ministry and confronted by the extremist views of Christians who were Seventh-Day Adventists. 

He rapidly came to her defense when she gradually began to explore her sexuality and femininity, leading her to be "slut-shamed" by Amy Ziegler, a particularly notorious member with ash blonde hair. Naomi notes that Guillermo's calm nature and healthy self-esteem makes him rather difficult to offend, as he is not easily triggered by situations and often has self-control and good management of his temper. He is also not particularly intellectual and doesn't like to moralize or philosophize situations, describing himself as more of a "hands-on, straightforward kind of guy" who likes to keep things simple. He tends to be mindful and considerate, often encouraging her to have an open heart and show gratitude for the small things instead of complaining about trivial matters or a perceived loss. He tries to see things through a more optimistic lens and as a person who grew up with parents who were continuously away working, tells Naomi to appreciate her family members and their company, as she never knew when they would pass on and unexpectedly fade away from her life. Guillermo frequently tries to put himself in the other person's shoes and admires Naomi's closeness to and association with "home" through her own small, supportive social circle back in her native Long Island. She mainly likes his easygoing nature and ability to make things feel less complicated, as with all the drastic changes of being away from home as an emerging adult, he was positive and a strong pillar of support. A kind person who will always bend over backwards, he can be very selfless as well, often being the first person to aid those in need and dependable in a time of crisis, with a firm resolve and warm, reassuring words of comfort for those around him. 

He is also very family-oriented, holding strong attachments to his parents, siblings, and extended family, along with periodically keeping in touch with his close-knit group of friends from his native Mesa, Arizona. Guillermo develops mutual feelings for Naomi after discovering a shared taste in music and mutual fondness for geeky pursuits, since he was fan of The Flash. He had similar humanitarian tendencies and passions for travel and enjoyed going to the beach like her, and he has a sensitive side that enjoys deep reflection and watching sunsets. Although he can sometimes overwhelm people with his tendency to want to take the lead and fix people's problems, he is calm and amiable and has good intentions. He also enjoys being playful and can generally be found in a happy mood, often bringing a positive energy to his environment with light humor. Guillermo's friends tend to describe him as an "unfazed everyman" when it comes to the weirdness in his surroundings, as he claims to detest conflict and drama and what he considers "petty confrontations" with people. Although he is not generally a hot-tempered or argumentative person, he will stand up for himself to calm the situation and maintain his inner peace. Considered daring to a fault, he is brave and always eager to join in on any adventure, along with being fiercely loyal and protective of his close friends. Having been a victim of bullying as an elementary and middle school student, he is very adamant at defending those who are ridiculed or mocked by others and demonstrating empathy for those who are looked down upon. Guillermo also has a bold facet to his personality, as he loves to engage in new activities with his close friends and tends to believe in what he can visibly see and what is palpable to the eye. 

He is the son of a white Hispanic father from Texas, as well as a Native American and Irish mother from New Mexico who sees the fourth Thursday of November as a National Day of Mourning. She is of Navajo descent and treats it as a day of reflection honoring ancestors, remembering the history of colonization, and celebrating survival despite the losses of land and culture. She reveals that her grandfather was forced to attend boarding school when he was a young boy, during which they tried to eliminate Native influence. Guillermo is fluent in Spanish and knows some colloquial Diné Bizaad, and he was raised in Arizona for much of his life before deciding to attend university in Boston for a change of environment. He is not thoroughly academic, yet he has hidden depths and can be surprisingly good at learning and picking up different languages. After he and his friend manage to find his grandfather's drum, it helps him reconnect with his heritage and regain his voice, and his cousin identifies as "two-spirit". His mother, who is known for her blue corn and frybread taught art at a community college in Mesa, meanwhile his father was a foreign language instructor at a local charter school. Raised by a polyglot, Guillermo himself speaks fluent Spanish after being taught by his father and understands some basic German and French words. He is considered attractive with a slender, but toned physique, spiky, tousled black hair, and a swarthy, tanned complexion and is involved in mixed martial arts and the college's swim team. He has very deep-set dark brown eyes and is characterized by his signature boyish, slightly crooked smirk, bearing a physical resemblance to the actor Taylor Lautner according to Naomi's friends. He is Naomi's second serious relationship and the first boy she ever has a real sexual encounter with, sleeping with him while attending Northeastern University. 

Previously sexually inexperienced with men, Naomi and Guillermo form a deep bond, leading her to experiment with and lose her virginity to him at his family's lake house while vacationing together the Spring Break of their sophomore year. She often jokes that he has "major prowess" in the bedroom and that he is a good kisser as they remain sexually active throughout their college years. Despite appearing conservative, she described him as someone who would initially prefer to keep things low-key and laidback, but continuously "take things one step further" by gradually intensifying everything they did together. He rarely had sexual experiences with many different people even as he approached young adulthood, as he needed to find meaning in his relationships and form a real emotional connection to fully give himself to another person. In a similar way to Naomi, Guillermo likes to take things slow and steady and is an "all-or-nothing kind of guy" who will keep his walls up unless he is seriously invested in someone. He and Naomi are happy together and date for a few years, but eventually break up amicably once Naomi notes something "feels missing" in her relationship with him and admits her lingering feelings for her first love, Jorge. While hurt initially by her decision, he later moves on to new love interests and becomes engaged by his mid-20s to a girl named Araceli, an eclectic dresser who had wide-spaced eyes and long brown hair worn plainly. She nevertheless remembers him as "the kindest man she ever knew" due to his undying patience with her and earnest desires to ensure her happiness and well-being. Noting that he and Naomi have grown apart and changed significantly over time, Guillermo apologizes to his classmate, Araceli for initially rejecting her and gives their relationship a chance. 

Although he appreciates Araceli's kindly and unassuming demeanor, he still can't quite forget his feelings for his college girlfriend Naomi. He sees her loosely reflected in his new girlfriend in many ways, causing him to mistakenly refer to her as Naomi on one occasion. After some prodding, she forgives him and lets him back into her life, and upon getting to know each other better, they form a deep bond and are together for the long-term. While Araceli has some issues in the future due to her struggles with pelvic inflammatory disease, she and Guillermo still manage to conceive a single daughter named Nuria through IVF after she has two miscarriages. They later date for a few years and get engaged by their mid-20s, with Guillermo empowering and encouraging while she establishes her non-profit organization. It is supposed to benefit underprivileged classes who lack health insurance and pursues her master's degree in international affairs. The two also go on to adopt two more children, a son named Gael who was born with a port-wine stain and a daughter from Malawi named Fauzia. Guillermo winds up doing charity work in Democratic Republic of the Congo with Araceli and traveling to different parts of Latin America. She eventually pursues a career as both a foreign aid worker and philanthropist, and she opts to brings their children along the way. She has also been lifelong friends with a young woman named Rhonda, who she met as a child throughout her time in Michoacán. Seeing as her family has a history of COPD due to her grandfather's diagnosis with the condition, they continue to advocate health causes and donate to local charities. ISFP 6w7