San Fernando Valley — Always coming back to you.
The San Fernando Valley is a place that I call home. It’s where I was born and raised. One thing I’ve noticed is that many people who end up leaving the Valley, always come back one way or another. I can understand why. This city reflects who I am, Hispanic, 1st generation, with the ambition to do whatever needs to be done in order to succeed
My parents migrated to the US in the late 80s, and made a home for themselves in Huntington Park, in Los Angeles until they moved to the house in Arleta in the San Fernando Valley in 1994, where we live till this day. Just a few months after the devastating Northridge earthquake.
I grew up all over the valley, I spent most of my time in Pacoima, as I went to school there and played in a soccer team as a kid. I also spent a lot of time in Burbank, as my parents both had jobs out there and I had to commute back and forth. I also catch myself spending a lot of time in Panorama city to shop around, buy food and run my errands, as well as in Northridge, where I currently go to school and have a lot of friends who live around campus
One thing I can say about the San Fernando Valley that’s been consistent throughout the years is the diversity. I have met many people from all different kinds of backgrounds, and the public schools in the Valley are the most diverse in my opinion. It’s one thing that makes it feel very homey. It’s the one place that doesn’t make you feel like an outcast. Almost everyone is bilingual and knows each other through different schools or sports around the city. When I was in high school, I was in the LAUSD All City Marching band, I met many people from around the valley. All throughout Los Angeles for that matter, I experienced a lot of diversity and people who are just like me. It was a great time, to be honest. It was cool when rival schools got together for this too, something I’d never forget.
