From Florida to Nicaragua to Pennsylvania, senior Jenny Galo-Pereira has lived many lives. The 3,361 foot stretch from Central America to the United States is a big change. But for Jenny, it was a unique upbringing.
Born in Miami, Florida, she started her life as a United States citizen. After five years and a year of kindergarten, Galo-Pereira moved to Chinandega, Nicaragua, with her parents. She attended middle school at Centro Educacional Mantica Berio for nine years, then moved to Ligonier for her freshman year. “I cried when I found out we were moving,” she explains. “We spent nine years over there. I was not ready to leave what I had built for myself.” Her time spent over there was her prime development years. Spending her childhood in familiarity, she didn’t know anything different.
Ligonier was not flattering to Jenny. “I hated it. Ligonier is so small, and everyone already knew each other,” she explains. “At Latrobe, everyone is more spread out, and it was easier to connect with everyone.” Though small groups are appealing to some, being new to a tight-knit environment makes it hard to fit in. Finding more opportunities and people as she entered Greater Latrobe as a student due to the vast range of options.
“We moved because of my dad’s work,” Galo-Pereira says. “He was working at my grandpa’s shipping company in Miami, but now he works in sales [in Pennsylvania].” A family friend in Ligonier drew her family there, but they inevitably moved to Latrobe after Jenny’s freshman year. “We had a six-month notice before we came to America. My dad came here first in April, then my mom and I followed in September so I could start school on time.” It was hard for Jenny to adapt so quickly to the change, but everything worked out for her after some time.
“Spanish was my first language,” Jenny says. While attending kindergarten in Miami, Galo-Pereira picked up English from her environment. “My dad went to Kiski Prep, so he does know English,” Galo-Pereira says. “My mom learned English mostly from us being [in the United States].” Navigating the American world with non-native parents is challenging. Galo-Pereira fills in any translation gaps for her parents when needed.
Though Galo-Pereira and her parents live in Latrobe, their family still lives in Florida and Nicaragua. With an uncle and cousins in Florida, and grandparents in Nicaragua, her family is spread out widely across North America. “It’s sad, we don’t see them very often,” she says. Visiting family and friends is tough when they’re not down the road in Latrobe.
The Nicaraguan school system is vastly different from American schooling. “You start in January and end in November,” she says. “You get December off, but you get breaks in between the year, too.” From a December break in Nicaragua to summer breaks and shorter in-between breaks in the United States is a big culture shock, but Jenny has adjusted.
Picking classes is not as flexible as it is in the states. “You don’t get to pick any of your classes,” says Galo-Pereira. Core classes are required in the curriculum, and a final is given at the end of each quarter for each class. “The tests are also more difficult [in Nicaragua],” Galo-Pereira says. Honor roll is also offered, though it is much harder to achieve than in American schooling.
Jenny has been a member of the girls’ tennis team at Greater Latrobe for 3 years. Previously playing in Nicaragua, she had experience under her belt. “We had to join the team inside our country club because there was no school team,” she mentions. “That really helped me make friends and be comfortable when I was little.” With a childhood connection to the sport, the player hopes to join a club-level tennis team at the college she attends. “I wouldn’t do it professionally,” she says.
Galo-Pereira has proven herself academically over her time at Greater Latrobe, as seen in her acceptance to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the University of South Florida. “I’m undecided, but those are my top options right now,” she says. “I like the thought of Florida, but I don’t like the thought of moving away from my friends in Pennsylvania.” Jenny has also applied to, and is waiting to hear back from, Carnegie Mellon University, North Carolina State University, Bucknell University, University of Notre Dame, and Case Western Reserve University.
Galo-Pereira plans to major in chemical engineering, with a possible end goal of pharmaceuticals. “I want to take time and see what I like specifically, then make a decision,” she says. “Chemical engineering is a general degree, so I have some time to weigh my options.”
Through Galo-Pereira’s uniquely shaped journey across countries, she has found her home at Greater Latrobe. Ending her road at Latrobe and starting a new chapter at college in the states is a blissful feeling. Looking back at her progress is rewarding, but Galo-Pereira is ready to see what her future holds.
