As a high school student in 1999, Eddie was ahead of his time. While the internet was fairly young, he understood that technology could bring tremendous opportunity to himself and his classmates, if they were only allowed access. Now a YouTube star, he credits where he is today to a pivotal moment from his teenage years, when his school administration debated whether to fund a computer lab or expand an already-existing auto shop.

“We were concerned that we would miss the boat altogether. We were going to be left behind as a community,” said Eddie.

Led by famed educator Marco Antonio Torres, Eddie and a group of students used a digital camcorder, a computer, and primitive digital editing tools, to create a video and raise awareness. The group created a video about the fate of a student who had access to technology, and the fate of a student who was denied access. Thanks to that video and mounting pressure from community leaders, the school administration decided to allow the San Fernando Educational Technology Team (as it became known) to use the room for a computer lab. Eddie explained, “We needed to be connected to the world and the information of the world.”

During college, Eddie interned at Universal Music and Video Distribution, but after earning a degree in Electronic Media Management, he opted to accept a job outside of the entertainment field instead. He continued filmmaking as a hobby, but it wasn’t until a few years later that he decided to take his YouTube videos more seriously by investing in a high definition camera. After years of creating video content as a hobby, Eddie decided to quit his job to become a full time content creator. As Eddie put it, “The itch was just too great. There was all this stuff happening, and I was missing it.”

In 2016, Eddie had a string of viral videos thanks to one of his characters, “Tiburcio.” Today, Eddie has two channels “OMG, it’s Eddie G!” and “Show De Tiburcio.” Both channels have video content that is comedic and entertaining, but with a social conscience. Eddie’s inspiration was to foster an understanding of the Hispanic-American community by providing an unique perspective to YouTube comedy and commentary. He explained, “There was a lot of content being created, but not a lot of content being created by people who looked like me. And I didn’t see my community and the things that we represent reflected.”

A few of Eddie’s videos have been used by teachers across the world to teach students to better understand the Hispanic-American culture. For instance, Eddie’s video on the Day of the Dead was widely popular among teachers and students who watched the video to learn about the origins and meaning of the holiday.

In a few years, Eddie aspires to expand his one-man operation to a full team. “Right now, I shoot, edit, and act in most of my videos. Eventually, I would like to build a team of people who believe in my mission to help me get out that message out to the world more consistently.”

Learn more about Eddie’s work by visiting his website, Eddie G!’s YouTube Channel, the Tiburcio YouTube Channel and his Facebook.