From Where I Sit is an ongoing column associated with the ESOL program that aims to share the stories and experiences of international students.

My family heritage is rooted in Ecuador, a country in South America. My parents come from a small village called Baños in Cuenca, Ecuador, the place where my fascination for the country blossomed. On my first visit to my family’s town, I saw cows, pigs, chickens, and more which was quite fascinating for a city kid like me. In Baños, at every turn, there is an abundance of nature and animals. Walking down the street where my relatives live, I saw plants and grass growing on the sides of the street, which was raw earth and not cement and there were plenty of dogs roaming freely. I would look up at the hills and see acres of green grass with animals being fed by farmers. I was able to play with my cousins in the open fields. This became just one of the many things that I love about my country. You can only imagine how many selfies were in my camera roll.

I was more connected with nature there than I ever was in the city where I live. Despite the idea of New York City, I grew up immersed in Ecuadorian dishes, Ecuadorian parables, and the Spanish language. The stories my family told me as a child made me envision this other world even though it was only when I was 12 that I saw Ecuador for the first time. The culture of Ecuador has crafted my life’s values, which allows me to explore a new path of my own.

These stories remain embedded in my mind today. Growing up, my mother would constantly mention her favorite holiday, Carnival,


and the elements that made it festive. She warned me when we celebrated it, saying “No one is safe.” My mother recalled moments of her youth when people in the streets ambushed her with water as a form of celebration, also mentioning the other condiments that could get thrown at you: mud, sauce, and any other messy liquid you could think of. Similarly, my father would say that when someone died, everyone in the village would go to the funeral and be there for one another. He went to numerous funerals because it was a way to show your respect and to show empathy for the people who lost their loved one. I realized just how important it is to stick together, be unified and be there for others.

Stories were not the only forms of cultural immersion that I had growing up. My mother submerged my sister and me in our Ecuadorian heritage by cooking traditional dishes every night. Varying from

seco de chivo

to

cuy con arroz

, my mother constantly kept our culture alive in our home. These are the same dishes we would have whenever we would visit a family member’s home since everyone loved to enjoy the Ecuadorian originated dishes.

My father, similar to my mother, also focused on teaching me the important lessons and values he acquired growing up in Ecuador. One of these lessons was the importance of family. My father did not teach this to me directly, but I learned just by observing the way he was with his two brothers. My sister and I would always refer to them as the three musketeers — a phrase that did not even get close to acknowledging the deep brotherly bond they have. Whenever times got tough for one of them, the other two were never too far away and it did not take tough times for all of us to come together either. Every Sunday, my entire family would go to the park and play soccer, then go to one family member’s house to enjoy a meal together. I have always valued Sundays because if I had a tough week, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel — that light being my support system, my family.

Soccer itself is another important part of my culture and my life. When I think of my childhood, I think of days running across the field with my father, having him teach me every move I needed to know to play the sport. I grew up watching soccer and playing with different teams and as I got older, I got the chance to go to Ecuador and play soccer for a whole month. It was an unforgettable experience that truly let me see Ecuador first hand in the ways my parents had described it to me.

My parents inspire me everyday to be there for my family whenever and however they may need me and the greatest lesson I learned from them is that family is always there for one another. But in order to communicate with my family and take advantage of this bond, I have to speak Spanish — the mother language of our country. My family understands Spanish far better than they do English and because of that, I am fluent in Spanish and English, which has been an added bonus in many different circumstances. Spanish has been so important to me my entire life because it has kept me close to my family and my culture.

The culture of my family has been instrumental to my values and path in life. My parents have helped me craft my values and one of them is to understand, “What you give is what you get.” I never know when I will need help but when I do, there will be people ready to help me. Having a family and accessing help are highly important to me because with the help of others, I can succeed. When receiving my acceptance letter to Hamilton College, I was given the opportunity to join HEOP. When looking at the program, I saw how it would provide me with assistance and guidance throughout my next four years. The small campus and community aspect were also factors in my decision to come to the Hill. The saying that when joining Hamilton College, you join the “Hamily,” attracted me. My high school was a small school and everyone knew each other, so I was able to consider the friends that I made my family. Hamilton’s ethos felt right to me and so today, I know I made the right choice. As my parents decided to leave their home for a better future, I decided to leave home and come to Hamilton College for a better future.