Humans of Hofstra: Pamela Vallejos

Pamela Vallejos, a first-year biology major on the pre-med track, was born in Portchester, New York. She is a first-generation Hispanic student, coming back to continue her education after taking a gap year in Paraguay.

“The reason I decided to come to Hofstra was because it reminded me a lot of what it was like back in Paraguay. Everyone here is friendly and nice,” Vallejos said.

Vallejos grew up in both New Canaan, Connecticut, and San Lorenzo, Paraguay. At her high school in Connecticut, she was one of three Hispanic students in a school of 400. Out of those three students, she was the only one who spoke Spanish.

“I lived in Connecticut and I liked it a lot; it was a super calming and beautiful place, however there was obviously a difference between living here and Paraguay. I was fine with [being Hispanic] but I felt that difference.”

In Paraguay, the two predominant languages spoken are Spanish and Guaraní. Vallejos speaks both, along with English and Portuguese.

 “In Paraguay, people are welcoming, and we just have a lot of fun all the time. Everyone there is your ‘kape’ which means friend in Guaraní.” She added, “Whether you’re in school or you’re walking down the street, you love where you are.”

Vallejos is currently an active member of three clubs: Hofstra’s Organization of Latin Americans, the Culinary Club and the American Medical Student Association.

“Academically there [are] a lot of opportunities here compared to what I grew up with and what I was given before.”

“Being an international student and coming from a school where our graduating class was 11 and not having as much opportunities to choose between classes, I thought that I was going to be behind, and I was actually quite terrified,” Vallejos said.

She is adjusting well. Although she occasionally misses Paraguay, she knows why she is here. Being a first-generation student means fulfilling your parent’s dreams of graduating from a university. Coming from a landlocked, developing country where the education is not as advanced, Vallejos knows that she needs to continue working and studying hard.

Once she got to Hofstra, Vallejos gained confidence in her schoolwork and now knows that she will be fine with her classes. Vallejos finds comfort in the fact that one of her roommates speaks Spanish, another understands the language and knowing that she is not the only first-generation, Hispanic or international student here.

“It has gotten better now and that scary feeling of being from a different place is leaving. I feel that I am right where I should be.”