Although she’d visited New York and Miami several times before, Val Galeas had never really spent any time in the South before coming to St. Clair County last August.  

“It’s kind of different,” she said.  “People are really nice here.  Everybody says ‘hi’ and asks how you are.  It’s been a really fun experience.”

Preparing to return this month to her native Ecuador, the well-travelled 18-year-old has resided in Pell City as an exchange student, hosted by Michael and Teri Gagliano and their daughters Carly and Ronni.  She took time out from watching a World Cup soccer game last week to talk about school, cultural differences in the Americas, and what she’ll miss most after returning home.

Where she’s from:  Cumbaya, located in the Tumbaco Valley, east of Quito, Ecuador’s capital.  About 4 million people live in Quito, while the population of Cumbaya is about 28,000.  “We have grown.”

Her family:  “There are four people in my family.  I have a brother who is 13, and our uncles, aunts, and grandparents live nearby.”

Coming to America:  Before arriving in Pell City, Val had spent time with relatives in south Florida and her aunt in New York who worked at the Ecuadorian consulate.  “We visited there every summer for three years.”

Conditions in Ecuador:  “There is a big percentage of poverty back home.  It’s not unusual to see people—not people 30 or 40 but little kids or really old people —begging for money in the streets.  It’s kind of sad.  Houses are in the open here. You can see them as you pass by.  At home, all the houses are behind walls for protection.  There are a lot of violence and thieves.”

Notable cultural differences:  “There is a lot of fast food here.  You eat it all the time.   And you need a car to get everywhere.”

Language:  Val is fluent in English and has studied Italian.  “I studied English in school since I was in kindergarten, but I’ve learned a lot more from interacting with people here.”

The exchange student:  Although she graduated from high school last year in Ecuador, Val attended classes at Pell City High School.  “It’s amazing how easy school is here.  I got As the whole year.  It was much harder at my school. The teachers don’t help you as much as they do here.  At home, if you don’t get it, you’re on your own.  In math, you use calculators here.  We weren’t allowed to use them in my school.  It’s hard.”

At PCHS:  She was a member of the Interact Club, yearbook staff, and Spanish Club.  “I was also manager for the softball team.  I didn’t play, but I was always there.”

Continuing her education:  “I would like to study economics and international business in college.  I’d like to study for my degree, travel, and settle down somewhere.  I’ll have to find a good job, too, to pay for it.”

Time spent in Pell City:  “It has helped me grow as a person, and I’ve found another family over here.  I would not change this year for anything.”

Before leaving:  “We’re going to the beach next week.  That’s the last thing I have planned.  We come back on Friday, and I leave on Sunday.”

What she’ll miss most:  “Chicken fingers.  And my new family here.”