Immigrating to the US from Mexico when he was 3 years old and growing up in rougher parts of Oakland, he confesses to feeling stuck in an environment of crime and violence. He's always turned to boxing and cooking to keep him focused. Cooking's important to his entire family, so much that his mother supported them with her taco truck, where some of Hector's first lessons on hard work came from. Hector's eager to bring his cooking skills to the next level, while getting his degree at Laney College. He plans to cook and save up so that he can leave his neighborhood behind and travel the world, live abroad, and cook at restaurants and box to support himself.