Hometown Is Where the Heart Is:
Why People Return to Gilroy After College
by Morgan Blaettler
Leaving Gilroy for college instilled new feelings of independence and homesickness. Living in the same house on Princevalle Street my whole life, freshman year at Chapman University was my first ever move. Learning how to cook, unclog a shower drain, and share a bedroom were all new experiences for me. Sudden waves of nostalgia hit when I least expected, making me miss the simplest of things my hometown provides.
Since being in Orange County, I’ ve made efforts to stay connected to my new community, as I did in Gilroy. At Chapman, I joined the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, giving me the opportunity to raise money for our philanthropy, CASA, and connected me with a group of strong and supportive women. As a Creative Writing major, I was able to publish my writing in literary magazines on campus, drawing on Gilroy for inspiration.
Maintaining relationships and staying connected to my hometown community through local events and traditions has established a sense of belonging that has helped shape the person I am today. I was curious to see what drew other community members back to Gilroy after college.
Native Gilroyan Lori Kent describes growing up in Gilroy as a time filled with deep-rooted connections with the community and family.“ Gilroy was much smaller at the time so everybody knew everybody.” Lori details. Her family has been embedded into Gilroy for many years. Lori and her parents were born and raised in Gilroy where her mother’ s parents ran a family company and her grandfather on her father’ s side was the mayor of Gilroy.
After leaving for college at University of California Santa Barbara in 1985, Lori found a home away from home in Isla Vista where she taught at a local preschool for three years. Her experience working with kids grounded her, giving her a sense of familiarity to her background in Parks and Recreation in the Gilroy community.
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