By Emily Simanskis; The Miami Student
He never goes anywhere without a smile and a Wisconsin accent.
Spend a day with him and you'd know that Victor Pinto is perhaps one of the most liked people on campus.
But you wouldn't know that he used to do double-sided math worksheets to earn a penny from his mom and has sung for the Dalai Lama.
You wouldn't know that he runs, rock climbs, swims, bikes, sings and plays the guitar, ukulele and piano.
You wouldn't know that he is allergic to eggs and has a rare heart condition where he feels pain similar to a 10-to-15-second heart attack.
You wouldn't know that he has tri-citizenship, but considers himself Brazilian.
You wouldn't know that he is a certified nursing assistant, has worked at McDonald's, is at Miami by chance and aspires to join the Air Force.
You'd know that he likes to give compliments more than he likes to receive them, but you wouldn't know why.
You wouldn't know that in sixth grade he was fat and bullied and depressed.
You wouldn't know that in seventh grade he tried to kill himself.
And so, if you knew Victor Pinto, you'd know why last year he wrote a poem called, "Lighten Up."
And you'd know why he keeps a laminated, hand-written note of thanks from a stranger named Martina in his wallet.