“My name is Hector Holguin, and I was born and raised in Dalton, GA. My mom, Guadalupe Bejarano, moved to Dalton in 1987. She was looking for an opportunity at a better life and a place where she could raise a family. She couldn’t have found a better place to raise me and my siblings Erik and Lizbeth. Thanks to her amazing work ethic and countless hours working at Shaw, she provided us with an opportunity to better ourselves and pursue a college degree. Lizbeth is currently a senior at Southeast High School.
DREAM. After high school, I played soccer at a small college, but like most college freshman, I did not know what I wanted to major in. This is when my former high school soccer coach, Coach Ryan Scoggins, asked me if I wanted to coach the JV team. After one practice, I knew this was what I wanted to do, so I quickly changed my major and pursued a career in education. I have now been a Special Education teacher and a head soccer coach for 7 years, 4 at Southeast Whitfield high school. I’ve had great mentors, which is why I chose to give back and serve in the greater Dalton area. It has been great to see how much soccer has grown in our area. We’ve always had great soccer players in our area, but we didn’t always have the resources or support we have today. Recently we’ve had several state champions, players signing college scholarships, and even professional contracts. We are seeing our youth reach their goals and aspirations thanks to the support they have now. This year alone, we had three state champions and our town was dubbed “Soccertown USA”. It was truly a countywide celebration that we enjoyed as a community. As a coach, it brings me great joy to be a small part in the success my players have. They are the ones putting in the hard work and representing themselves, their family, and their school in a positive way. Individual awards are good, but seeing my guys become great men and productive members of society is a joy that no award can match.
THRIVE. Dalton is a special place, and it is a place for opportunity for those that want it. It is the place where I met my wife Laurin Holguin and a place where we are now raising our two boys, Beckham and Matteo. It is also a place that has given me the opportunity to pursue a career that I love. I am thankful for the blessings God has given me. While we live in a place surrounded by beautiful mountains and scenery, the people of Dalton are what makes this small-town great.”