After Indiana University won the college football national championship, Bloomington was on cloud nine, buzzing with the joy of an unforgettable and historic season. Even I, someone who is completely football-illiterate, found myself swept up in the excitement.
My husband, Bijou, and I have been married for 34 years. Over the decades, he has made many valiant attempts to get me interested in football. Despite his enthusiasm, the sport has never quite caught on with me. As a result, I rarely follow players, except for names that come up often in the news or family conversations.
So, when I began hearing the name Fernando Mendoza repeatedly, my curiosity was piqued. As his coach famously says, “Google it,” so I did. What I discovered surprised me, I found many similarities between my own children, Tanishq and Tiara, and the Mendoza brothers.
Fernando was raised with values that felt deeply familiar, with an emphasis on education, heritage, faith and strong family bonds. Learning that his father works in the medical profession and that his mother, despite facing her own medical challenges, drove her sons to practices, reminded me of similar challenging days driving our young children to college classes, Tiara’s performances, Tanishq’s conferences and their TV and radio station shows. The fact his family is rooted in a Christian faith-centered home deepened that feeling of familiarity even more.
Perhaps it was my maternal instincts, but I felt an immediate connection to Fernando, a 22- year-old who reminded me so much of my son, Tanishq, who is also 22.
Like Fernando, my daughter Tiara was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley, as a Regents’ Scholar. At 14, we chose UC Davis instead, closer to home. She later continued her graduate studies at Indiana University at 16 and joined the doctoral program in music at 18.
Tiara and I watched the championship game at our neighbor Robert’s house in Bloomington, while my husband joined us via video call from California. The evening felt especially meaningful.
But the excitement didn’t end with the game. Past midnight, I found myself driving around with Tiara and Robert to catch a glimpse of the party scene on Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington’s well-known party hub. Thousands of fans had poured in, and police had blocked off the area completely.
We pivoted and headed to Dick’s Sporting Goods, which was open late. Hundreds of IU fans were already there, digging through championship T-shirts and memorabilia. The three of us joined right in, and I made another video call to see what my husband and son wanted us to get.
That was when I noticed a championship football. I briefly considered purchasing it, thinking maybe it could someday be autographed by Fernando. Tiara and Robert laughed, telling me that it was wishful thinking, so I put it back.
The next day, news broke that Fernando would be signing autographs at Dick’s. I turned to Tiara and said, “See? My intuition was right.” There was a catch. Autographs were limited to the first 250 people.
That evening, we returned to Dick’s only to find the football sold out. While leaving, a cashier overheard my disappointment and mentioned that one had just been returned. It was sitting behind the counter. I bought it immediately, convinced it was meant to be.
Outside, fans were already camping out in blankets, preparing for the next day’s signing. Tiara was amused by my sudden enthusiasm and asked why I cared so much. I explained that while I usually do not care about football or football players, learning about Fernando and his family made this feel personal, a moment worth cherishing.
Our family knows this feeling well. Over the years, people have stopped us in unexpected places to ask for photos or simply say hello to Tanishq and Tiara. We have heard kind words about Tiara’s performances, including her National Anthem renditions for the San Francisco Giants and IU commencement, and about Tanishq, who appeared on Child Genius years ago and is now a notable medical AI researcher who founded Sophont, a medical AI startup, at 21.
We have often heard praises about our children’s incredible accomplishments, how grounded and humble they are and how, as parents, we must have done something right. Yet the truth is, parenting never truly ends. We are present through both our children’s brightest joys and their darkest moments.
Seeing families like Fernando’s reminds me that it is possible to nurture faith, values and ambition together. It is a balance that shapes not just success, but character.
When we learned the championship trophy would be on public display at Kroger on Jan. 21, we decided to take a small detour to Dick’s, knowing our chances of seeing Fernando were slim.
When we arrived, a long line of fans stretched ahead. We lingered nearby, soaking in the excitement, as songs like ABBA’s “Fernando” played, fans left clutching autographed posters, and excited college students exclaimed, “He shook my hand!”
Although the non-wristband line had closed, we stayed enjoying the celebratory scene. What struck me most was Fernando’s humility. He greeted everyone, young and old, with smiles, handshakes and hugs. Over hours of meeting fans, we never once saw impatience or entitlement.
Just as we were about to leave, the Dick’s staff graciously allowed the remaining non-wristband guests to join the line. When we met Fernando, he was exactly as we had observed, kind, attentive and sincere. We congratulated him, took our photo, and I handed him a card to share with his parents. He smiled, shook my hand and said, “I sure will.”
While we are still waiting to meet his wonderful parents and perhaps someday get that elusive football autographed, we are deeply grateful for this meaningful moment.
A special thank you goes to the staff at Dick’s Sporting Goods for their thoughtful organization and hospitality and to Fernando himself, who stayed nearly 30 minutes past the scheduled time to greet as many fans as possible.
It was a fitting end to an already unforgettable IU celebration.
Taji Abraham is a veterinarian and researcher who placed her career on hold to focus on her family. Together, with her husband, Bijou, a software engineer, she homeschooled their two children, Tanishq and Tiara, before moving from Sacramento, California, to Bloomington, where her daughter Tiara began her master’s degree at 16 at the Jacobs School of Music. Now, Taji balances a long-distance family life while managing her children’s schedules, media appearances, talks and performances, becoming fondly known as “Dr. Momager.” She enjoys reflecting on the intersections of professional life, parenting and community and finds her greatest joy in celebrating the paths her family continues to forge together.
