One’s first impression of Bo Ortega is that he is a respectful, traditional, and hardworking young man with a bright future ahead of him. His heart is firmly planted in Questa, with ranching in his background and in his future. Though he plans to attend trade school after graduation, his goal is to eventually make it back home and have a ranch of his own.

The 15-year-old freshman at Questa High School is the son of Kami and Mark Ortega. He is heavily involved in FFA and sports, including track and football, where he has played for six years and currently serves as a center and defensive tackle. “Football is definitely my favorite sport,” Ortega says. He also lends his time as the manager for the baseball team.

In FFA, Ortega serves as a livestock judge and evaluates dairy products like cheese and milk. With ranching in his genes, he spends his days tending to animals, watering horses, and feeding livestock. He spoke of “Sheep’s Crossing,” an area on the Rio Grande where his family has historically crossed their livestock for generations.

Among all his extra-curricular activities, Ortega makes time to help clean the ditches during La Limpia. He says one of his favorite things to do is go riding with his grampo in his ’03 Ford Ranger throughout Questa.

“I really like cruising through town with my grampo,” Ortega says. “He tells me stories of when he worked at the mine as well as stories from his fire department days.” His grandparents, Max and Monica Ortega, have had a profound impact on his upbringing, and he visits them at least once a week. Ortega is currently a junior member of the Questa Fire Department, serving along with his dad.

Family remains his compass. Growing up as an only child, Ortega shares a sibling-like bond with his cousins, Mariana and Diego Ortega. Connected to Oklahoma through his mother’s side, he maintains strong family ties in the state. As often as he can, Ortega visits a large extended family that includes his grandparents, nine cousins, and eleven aunts and uncles.
When he’s not tending to animals or playing sports, Ortega enjoys riding in the side-by-side with his family and having cookouts. “I also enjoy hanging out with my friends and riding 4-wheelers,” he says.

Upon graduation in 2029, Ortega plans to attend trade school, possibly for welding or heavy equipment operation. “I want to eventually come back to Questa and have my own ranch,” Ortega says.

When asked who inspires him, Ortega says his whole family, but mainly his mom and dad. “My mom is smart, open to new ideas, and is a really down-to-earth person. My dad is respectful, kind, hardworking, and shows me what it takes to be a good man. He’s a good friend and he’s honest.”

To the younger generation, Ortega offers this advice: “Don’t mess around too much. If you have a dream, chase it, or if you have something you really love, spend as much time as you can doing it.”