For the typical AP student, May is distinguished as a trying month, marked by the sentiment of trepidation and sense of accomplishment brought on by AP testing, but for junior, David Santos, it carries more significance, because May is also Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

While the majority of students taking Advanced Placement classes are hitting their books in anticipation of their AP tests, a fellow Viking, who is the member of the class of 2017, is fettered by the confines of four hospital walls and the precariousness brought on by them.

Whether or not they know him personally, the student body that comprises Viking Nation yearns for the recuperation of Santos. The hash tag #PrayforDavid inundated the Twitter feed of his classmates immediately after the news broke out that Santos has cancer.

Having been best friends with Santos since the seventh grade, junior, Jacob Moreno, is confident in his comrade’s ability to fully recover.

“He is very funny and always makes me laugh,” Moreno said. “It was nice to see people support him, even if they don’t know him.”

Santos is an involved student of the campus to say the least; he not only juggles various Advanced Placement and Honors courses, but also participates in the school’s JV soccer team.

A fellow soccer player, Humberto Luna, junior, plays alongside Santos on the soccer field, and continues to stand by his friend to support him.

“When I found out my heart dropped.” Luna said. “Honestly, I was on the verge of crying because he’s one of my closest friends, and he doesn’t deserve it.”

Along with Santos’s fellow teammates, Luna plans to make buttons to in order to support his friend and spread awareness on campus.

David’s older brother, senior, Pablo Santos, is hopeful and optimistic for the recovery of his younger brother.

“David is special because he’s very passionate and kind in everything he does, yet he is always laid back and likes to have fun. Going through all of this really popped the bubble I was living in, showing me that tragedy does not discriminate, and that anyone’s world can be flipped upside down at any time,” Santos said. “However, seeing David stay positive and strong has inspired me to try and do the same regardless of how hard it may be. I love him a lot, and am hopeful to have my healthy brother back soon.”

Although he is facing a hardship that is difficult to surmount, David Santos is staying optimistic, and has been humbled throughout the past couple of weeks and is grateful for all of the love and support he has received from every person who dealt it his way.

“I just want to thank everyone for all the support. It keeps me grounded and reminds me that I’m not fighting through this alone,” Santos said. “I appreciate everything so much.”

David Santos is a young man facing a tribulation that rarely develops in adolescents. However, it is during times of adversity that the best qualities of a person are exuded. This month is not about brain tumors; it is about celebrating those who have overcome the adversities inflicted upon their lives because of a diagnosis, and commemorating those who passed away because of it. Every morning Santos awakens to see, is one more dawn under his belt. Every new dawn makes Santos a survivor, and this month will serve as a reminder, not of what holds him back, rather, of what he is capable of overcoming.