MCALLEN – It’s another practice at Rowe High School. As the Warriors gear up for the playoffs, Luis Yadier Cardona is thankful he’s playing basketball and not back home.

“I feel so proud of me and my family because like everyone wants this opportunity, these choices, “ said Cardona.

Cardona doesn’t take the small things in life for granted. During Hurricane Maria, he saw kids digging through trash looking for food.

“So hard for me because I’ve never seen something like that before,” said Cardona. “It was so hard. It was crazy.”

The Rowe junior and his family came to the Valley to stay with a relative.

“A lot of people came to the rescue to help them out and donated a lot of things to them and they’re doing a little bit better,” said Rowe basketball coach Jose Yebra.

Cardona thinks about the devastation in his homeland every day. He still has family living in Puerto Rico.

“I hope they can come right here to be with us,” said Cardona.

The out-going, shaggy-haired junior enjoys going to school in the Valley, although he says language can be a barrier at times.

After high school, Cardona says he plans to attend college.