Latino Excellence chat with Auburn star Chad Baker-Mazara

Chad Baker-Mazara, a senior from the Dominican Republic, has helped Auburn reach the Final Four. In this episode of the Latino Excellence podcast, the star small forward discussed his passion and desire on the court and his road from the D.R. to the United States.

A fan favorite at Auburn, Baker-Mazara tells us a little about what makes Auburn special. He also touched on his commitment to atone after a disappointing performance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament game against Yale.

The native of the Dominican Republic is a key part of the No. 1-seeded Tigers. In this episode of Latino Excellence, Baker-Mazara details his move from the Dominican Republic to the United States as a teen. He talks about his passion and desire to succeed.

Chad Baker-Mazara speaks English fluently now. But it wasn’t always so easy for the native of Santo Domingo. He struggled early on adjusting to a new language and new country. Along the way he refined his English skills.

Despite an American father and grandfather, the adjustment to a new language and country wasn’t easy.

“It was pretty hard not being able to communicate with people,” Chad said. “That was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, trying to communicate with somebody and not know how to.”

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There were times when Baker-Mazara would try to communicate by using his hands to signal words. At other times he would say a Spanish word and try to add a syllable or two to make it sound the way he assumed would be the word’s English pronunciation.

Now, he’s a team leader on the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He’s a vocal leader who feels comfortable enough to lead his teammates through stretching exercises in Spanish.

You can find Our Esquina’s Latino Excellence Podcast on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.