 Archuleta was born on December 28 , 1990 in Miami , Florida , to Lupe Marie ( née Mayorga ) , a salsa singer and dancer , and Jeff Archuleta , a jazz musician . His mother is from Honduras and his father is of Spanish – Basque , Danish , Irish , German , and Iroquois descent . He speaks fluent Spanish . Archuleta has four siblings . His family moved to the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy , Utah , when he was six years old . He now lives in Murray where he attended Murray High School . Archuleta earned his Eagle Scout award in 2010 of the Boy Scouts of America . When Archuleta , a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter @-@ day Saints , was 21 , he volunteered for two years as a full @-@ time missionary in Santiago , Chile . Archuleta is also a graduate of Barbizon Modeling and Acting School in Salt Lake City . 
