Beatriz “Bea” Zuloaga ’23 is a junior biopsychology major.
“The most important person in my life was my Grandpa.听Only my mom鈥檚 parents lived where I lived in Valencia [Venezuela]. The other side of the family lived three hours away, so it was really hard to see them鈥攕o I never had a close relationship with them. Plus, all of my cousins are like twenty-plus years older than me鈥攕o it was just awkward to have a relationship with them, because I was like four, and they were, like, ready to have kids and stuff. We never really had a close relationship. Except for my grandpa.听
He came from a very, very small town back home in Venezuela, where the only college was three hours away. So he had to ride a donkey! But he got his PhD there. And he was the most loving human I’ve ever met in my life. I found old letters from when he was trying to flirt with my grandma, and the things he would write her鈥攈e would write paragraphs on paragraphs just about how much he loved her. He was my role model; he was like a second dad to me. He used to always tell me that I was his favorite鈥攍ike, he wasn鈥檛 even shy about it, which I felt kind of bad about, because he would say it in front of my cousins and my brother.
My brother and I used to be very different, back at home. We didn鈥檛 even have the same friend group, so we didn鈥檛 really talk. But as soon as we came here, to America, it was just me and him鈥攖hat was it. He was my only family member. He鈥檚 the only person that I can actually be super vulnerable with, and he鈥檒l understand. He鈥檚 just my rock.听
We came here in 2017, so my junior year of high school.听I was听really excited听to go to America; that鈥檚 what听I’ve听always听wanted to do,听is to move here. But the cultural shock was a lot. I wasn鈥檛 used to people not liking to touch each other.听And calling people 鈥渕a鈥檃m鈥� and 鈥渟ir鈥�. It鈥檚听just听a different type of hospitality. Like, for us, we use hospitality in a physical form, like hugs and stuff, and y鈥檃ll听use it in nice words. Like words of affirmation, almost.听
My senior year of high school was when I finally settled down, and I understood what I wanted to do with my life. I was determined to get good grades and end up at a good place, a good college. I want to be a PT when I鈥檓 older. But at first, I chose a major I didn’t really like. Some people had told me that it was just easier to go that route, and that it would be better for me…so I just listened to them. But I didn鈥檛 like it, and it was showing on my grades. I lost all motivation. And then one day out of nowhere, I just decided to do what I wanted to do. So, I changed my major at two in the morning without telling anyone. And I definitely feel now that I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
Humans of Oglethorpe听was听created by a听听student intern in University Communications at Oglethorpe. Inspired by听听by Brandon Stanton, this series will share personal stories and perspectives from across campus. Everyone has a听story听and everyone is human. Would you like to be involved in this series? Email听Jamie Aiken.听
