Gui Pedra: Tall dreams

Guilherme Pedra, surrounded by emotional parents, was about to embark on a life-changing journey.

“I am going to make mom proud,” Pedra said, before leaving his family – and everything he had ever known – behind.

Gui Pedra, a senior communication major from São Paolo, Brazil, is an athlete, a serious student, and more than anything, a young man chasing his dreams, 10,000 kilometers from home.

Pedra, who played for the Saints for four years, was a captain on the men’s basketball team. His leadership stretched farther than the hardwood.

“Gui is a tremendous example of a servant leader,” said Ryan Lundgren, Saints coach. “He is constantly looking for ways to help serve his friends and teammates. He carries himself the right way both on and off the floor and sets a great example for his younger teammates.”

On the court, Pedra was a sharpshooting athletic wing who gave defenses problems.

“Gui has shown the underclassmen what it takes to win by shooting extra and working hard,” said teammate James Lang, a sophomore accounting major. “He did the same thing off the court, with his studies and making sure everyone is doing the right thing in school.”

Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Pedra was surrounded by sports his entire life. Like most kids in Brazil, he began his athletic career on the soccer field, playing “the beautiful game” in a land that worships at the altar of Pele and Marta.

Pedra was living the dream, playing both basketball and soccer. But schedules conflicted, so he would be forced to pick a sport – and a future.

“I knew that basketball would give me a better opportunity to achieve my dream of being the first member of my family to play a professional sport,” said Pedra. “With the full support of my parents, I decided to stop playing soccer and focus on basketball.”

Pedra played on two different club teams in Sao Paulo. Steadily improving, he won a regional championship with Paulistano.

His hard work on the court was paying off.

But he wasn’t working nearly that hard in the classroom – and those who believed in him told him bluntly he was putting his future at risk.

Pedra had to find the balance between extra practice on the court and extra study time at home – or his dreams would slip away.

“I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t going to let school be the reason why I couldn’t accomplish my basketball goals,” said Pedra. “A chance to continue studying while being able to play basketball seemed like the perfect opportunity for me.”

His basketball trainer encouraged Pedra to enroll at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles and play basketball.

Initially, the move from Brazil to the U.S. was anything but smooth. The language barrier, the rigors of American education, and a full basketball schedule combined to make the transition difficult.

“By the time my days were over, I was extremely stressed. My head was steaming,” said Pedra. “I was fatigued both mentally and physically.”

But, eventually, Pedra settled in.

During his senior year at Cathedral, Pedra blew up on the basketball court. Averaging 25 points per game, he caught the attention of Division 1 schools.

Everything was looking up for Pedra, his dreams were becoming a reality. Nothing could stop him now.

Nothing except a worldwide pandemic and nationwide lockdown.

Luckily for Pedra, Carroll College came knocking. Previous Saints head coach Kurt Paulson had recruited players from Cathedral in years prior. Paulson used that connection to reach out to Gui.

Pedra signed with Carroll in May of 2020, and was in Helena working out with the team by June. Since he stepped foot on campus, he made his presence known on the hardwood.

Pedra was able to draw on his past struggles to help his teammate Murat Can Güzelocak, a senior data science and computer science double major from Istanbul, Turkey, adjust to college in the United States.

“He was pretty much the first person I felt really close to, especially in the first two years,” said Güzelocak. “He understood me better because we were having similar experiences in terms of missing our countries and our families. I had really bad English, and he was the only one who could understand me easily.”

A career 40% three-point shooter, Pedra played a key role on a team that won a Frontier Conference championship and twice qualified for the NAIA national tournament.

An ace from beyond the arc, Pedra also prides himself on being an ace in the classroom.

Remembering his own mindset change that got him to America, Pedra helped his friend Murat adjust to college.

“When I came here, I was struggling with my classes,” said Güzelocak. “Our sophomore year we roomed together. When I saw his study habits, I realized how bad mine were. So, I started studying for my classes more, which helped me to get in rhythm for the rest of my college life.”

Pedra has kept his academic standards high, and will graduate with a 3.7 GPA.

Looking forward, Pedra hopes to keep playing the sport he loves. He will return home to pursue his dreams of professional basketball – and make up for lost time with his friends and family.

Pedra has grown up and flourished during his time at Carroll.

“When I met Gui for the first time, he was socially shy around people,” said Güzelocak. “Since our first years at Carroll, he has evolved to become a leader and our team captain.”

Pedra hopes he will be remembered for more than just what he did on the court.

“I think it’s fair to say that so far my life has been all over the place, in a good way,” said Pedra. “No matter what the future has in store for me, I just want to excel, and keep making my momma proud.”