Seniors of CPS: Marcus Gallardo

Interview conducted by Surina P. '27

There’s a slight drizzle when I meet Marcus after assembly in the courtyard on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. It’s 11:43AM, and the interview begins. 

Surina: Hey Marcus, ready for your Seniors of CPS interview? 

Marcus: I'm always ready. 

Surina: Awesome! Okay, let's start with some rapid-fire questions. First, what's the best Halloween candy? 

Marcus: Best Halloween candy. I'm not a huge candy person, but I'd say that Sour Patch Kids have always been a solid choice on the holiday. 

Surina: Those are good. If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be? 

Marcus: Let’s see.
I'd probably go with the ability to get a full night's worth of sleep without actually sleeping for, like, 8 to 10 hours. And I could, like, pull some all-nighters or, like, I don't know, stay up really late having fun with my friends, but still be alive the next day. 

Surina: Yeah, that seems like a very productive power. What's one item on your bucket list? 


Marcus: One item on my bucket list. Probably to do this bike ride called the Tour Divide. It starts in Banff, Canada, and ends on the southern border of the U.S. next to Mexico. And it's roughly 2,700 miles, and it's gonna be a little difficult physically, but I think it's gonna be really fun just to, you know, see all the different terrain and the environment. 

Surina: Whoa, that's pretty cool. Next question, in your opinion, is a hot dog a sandwich? 

Marcus: No, I don't think a hot dog is a sandwich simply because it's actually just one piece of bread. I'm sure there's a whole debate though. I'll stick to my original answer. No. 

Surina: Okay. And then last rapid-fire question, what's the best way to spend a rainy day? 

Marcus: Best way to spend a rainy day…oh, like today.
So I'd say—um—probably at home on my couch next to this massive window that I have, just like, looking outside into my backyard and seeing just the rain and also, I guess all the animals that are, like, working around the rain. But yeah, probably if I'm feeling productive, I'll have some tea or something and, like, do some coding or I'll just watch TV.

Surina: Nice! Okay, now time for some more in-depth questions. What's one of your favorite CPS memories? 

Marcus: Favorite CPS memory. So I might be a bit biased since it was really recent, but I'd say the Senior Snow Trip was just absolutely amazing. It's, like, the best retreat I've had with my class, like, by far, just because of the amount of freedom you get to just hang out with your friends and the people who are close to you outside, completely outside, the context of school. So, I mean, I've got some amazing memories already from that trip that are really nice to just to reflect on. 


Surina: I'm looking forward to that trip. If you could give advice to your freshman self, what would it be? 


Marcus: Mmm. It’s a little paradoxical for someone entering CPS and knowing that this is a very academically rigorous school. But I would say don't overfocus on the academics. 
You also have to remember that, like, balance is good. So you need to also seek out, you know, maybe, at least for me, trying to be a bit more, like, socially vulnerable and trying to, like, make those connections earlier. When I was in 9th and 10th grade, I was really focused on just, like, doing well in school, even at the expense of getting to know other people. Reflecting on that and how I changed that in my junior and senior year, it was kind of a mistake to kind of focus too much on the academics. So if I could do it over again, that's what I would change. 

Surina: Yeah, I feel like that's very relevant advice for this school. [both laugh] Okay, last question. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Marcus: Five years. So 5 years from now, hopefully I'll have gotten some sort of bachelor's degree in either computer engineering or computer science. And I’ll hopefully be pursuing some sort of PhD at the graduate level, and doing some sort of cool research, again, in the field of computer engineering.
Yeah, that's currently my goal, but of course, everything could change, um, as you go through college and learn more about yourself. 

Surina: Nice! Thanks, Marcus. 

Marcus: Yeah, thank you!

Marcus freshman year, dreading 8:25 in the library.