Carlos Ibarra: Dreamer 1st, adventurer 2nd

Imagine, 72 days, 10 pairs of sneakers and 2,942 miles traveled…all by foot.

“Run Carlos Run,” a mini television series about a Carlos Ibarra running across the United States, was screened Thursday night at Stubbs Hall, along with a meet and greet with Ibarra himself.

The event kick started the Traveling Scholar series.

In the summer of 2015, Ibarra began his nearly 3,000-mile journey in Brooklyn, New York and ran to his hometown Costa Mesa, California.

The documentary also features interviews of various people that Ibarra met along the way.

Ibarra interviewed around 38 people.

Ibarra, who claims to be a dreamer, shared that one of the purposes of the journey and the documentary screening was to inspire people to chase their dreams and work hard.

“Be patient,” Ibarra said. “Trust yourself that when it’s meant to come to you, it’s going to come to you. It’s actively how much you’re doing for it. It’s all about doing little things and taking it one step at a time.”

Among the many attendees was Kendrick Jones, a communication advocacy senior.

Jones attended the event to hear the story of a dreamer and see the speaker’s heart.

“The main core of the documentary was about dreaming bigger, and that’s something that I’m passionate about,” Jones said. “You can’t do anything alone. You need a team, a support system in whatever you’re trying to accomplish.”

Abhay Uprety, a freshman computer science major, called the whole event “amazing.”

“I had this Hollywood picture of America in my head with New York-style living, fast food and Starbucks, but the documentary showed a different America…very lovable, serious, humane, local, vibrant and much closer to me,” said Uprety, who is from Nepal. “I felt a change in me walking out of the room, a bit wiser than when I had entered.”

Along with being a runner, Ibarra is also an actor and a filmmaker. Through “Run Carlos Run,” Ibarra and his team have been able to support three organizations that focus on feasible college education and community development.