Cruz Stays True to Her Heritage

With Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 being National Hispanic Heritage Month, we caught up with women's tennis freshman Valentina Cruz, who was the No. 1 ranked player from El Salvador coming into Dartmouth. Here is her story.

In many ways, moving thousands of miles from home in El Salvador has led Valentina Cruz to grow closer to her Hispanic heritage.

It has made her consciously think about ways to keep traditions and customs alive.

"Being away from home has made me value talking to my parents, which is a priority," she said. "When I talk to them, it's a very valuable and important time."

The transition to a new place isn't totally new for Cruz, who for a while, has traveled because of tennis.

"The first tournament I played outside El Salvador, in which I traveled without my parents, was in Mexico when I was 12," she said.

This isn't to say Cruz doesn't miss her parents. She absolutely does.

"Of course I miss them," she said. "I miss home, and of course I'll be going back during breaks, but it hasn't been that difficult of a transition."

One of the most challenging transitions for Cruz has been the language barrier.

"I speak a pretty fluent English, but I have to be able to speak the 'slang' English with my friends and then the proficient formal English with school," she said. "Also, time management is very important here at Dartmouth and I'm used to having to manage time."

Sports have forced Cruz to effectively manage time from a young age.
Valentina Cruz 2

"When I was little, my mom wanted me to play a sport, so I started doing a little bit of everything," she said. "Then I started playing tennis, and that's the only sport I liked so I stuck with it. At first, I would just practice once or twice a week, then I started getting better and it went to three times a week, then five times a week, until I realized I had the potential of playing college sports."

Cruz wasn't only good at sports, but also her ability to focus led to success in almost everything she did – on and off the tennis court. Cruz has even been told by some that she would one day be a good president of El Salvador, due in large part to her drive to succeed.

"I was always focused on what I needed to do," she said. "If I had practice, I would be focused on practice. If I had school, I would be focused on school. I was always responsible with the tasks I had to get done. I knew that going to a school like Dartmouth would take a lot of effort."

Cruz's focus before college led to a smooth transition once she arrived to Dartmouth's campus.

"I started my recruiting process two years ago," she said. "Time management was a big deal for me because I went to a regular school in El Salvador. I would do eight hours of school, three hours of tennis and then at night, I would have to study. All these efforts and sacrifices were really valuable, and I wanted to honor that by going to a good school.

"Looking into all the schools, I noticed how Dartmouth has a beautiful community and a strong athletic program," Cruz continued. "And I thought the small student population would help me by having a close relationship with my professors."

So far, that has proven to be true as Cruz has felt right at home in the Dartmouth community.

"Honestly, when I got here, I was a little nervous about how I was going to feel surrounded by mostly American people," she said. "I know there are a lot of internationals, but to be surrounded by so many Americans, I thought it would be a little bit overwhelming speaking English the entire time. Whenever I meet people, they always ask me where I'm from, and saying I'm from El Salvador, their reaction is always oh my goodness, really? That's so cool.

"It has made me proud to be Latin."

Cruz is often asked about her childhood, or what it's like to live in El Salvador.

"It feels really nice to be able to share a little bit of my story and about my life in El Salvador," she said. "People probably expect a very dramatic story, but I had a pretty normal childhood. It feels really nice to be able to share a little bit of my story to all these people I'm getting to know."

Among those Cruz is getting to know at Dartmouth is a Hispanic community, which has helped her recognize her heritage.
Valentina Cruz 3

"I've met a lot of Hispanic people at Dartmouth and that's been nice to have people to talk in Spanish to or listen to Spanish music," she said. "I've heard that some of them are homesick, so helping them has also helped me."

Cruz has noticed some other differences between El Salvador and America.

"In America, I noticed that people have lunch at 11 a.m. or 12 p.m. and then dinner is super early at 5:30 or 6 p.m.," she said. "That's one of the things I had to get used to when I got here. I wouldn't be hungry for dinner, but everyone would be going to dinner, so I'd go."

Cruz may be in a different country, but she remains as connected with her parents as ever.

"I try to text them at least every day," she said. "And I call them every now and then… probably four times a week. I'm an only child, so I know it's very difficult for them to not have me home and it's important if I call."

There has been a progressive buildup of Cruz being away from home, which has helped the transition for everyone.

"When I was little, I would travel for one or two weeks," she said. "At first, it was very difficult for them, but they got somewhat used to it. Then I went to Mexico and I would be away from home for two or three months. Now that I'm here, I'm going to stay away from home for a longer period of time, but I know they're proud of me being here [at Dartmouth].

"They had the opportunity to drop me off, so both my parents were here and my grandmother," Cruz continued. "They were just so proud, taking pictures of everything and they were so happy."

Cruz has learned a lot from her parents over the years. Included was one instance in which her mother reminded her of her heritage.

"I was speaking in Spanish with my mother, and I would say an English world," said Valentina. "She would ask… are you speaking in Spanish? Then speak in Spanish the whole time.

"She wanted me to stay truthful to my Hispanic identity," Cruz continued. "I don't want to forget Spanish. I want to keep practicing it.

"Staying true to my heritage is very important and I learned that from my mother."