A Student’s Journey from El Salvador to Salisbury University

Originally from El Salvador, Ariel Blanco’s journey led him from studying at Montgomery Community College to majoring in Salisbury University’s exercise science program. Through SU’s satellite program at the Universities at Shady Grove, Ariel does not have to relocate to the Eastern Shore to earn an SU degree. It is much more convenient and less costly for him to take SU programs at Shady Grove. He may even get his diploma without ever having set foot on our campus!  

Questions? Contact SU Admissions at
admissions@salisbury.edu, 410-543-6161

Transcript available [+]

[introduction in Spanish with English subtitles]

Hello, my name is Ariel Blanco. I am originally from El Salvador and moved to the U.S. in 2010. I am part of the exercise science program from Salisbury University here at University of Shady Grove. I have been here for like six years, and I spoke no English when I began in high school and then I am a junior in college, so that’s says something.

Through high school I never thought I was made for, like, college education. I always had trouble connecting to people because of my language. English is a difficult language to learn. My only hopes when I got here was to just work, make money and go back to El Salvador, to be honest. Then through high school and throughout college, I realized that education is so important in so many different ways, and I saw the path right there. I could get a bachelor from going to MC and then you receive locally, I was like, that’s awesome, that’s so convenient. So, I decided to go to the health fitness program first and then transfer to the Salisbury program here.

The exercise science program from Salisbury University has helped me realize that the body is a complicated thing. It’s not simple, as many people think. There’s a whole science behind it. And I realized that at MC, so when I moved to USG for the Salisbury program, I loved the classes, like everything was in so much detail, and I knew that I had to work hard. I really like the lab. We get to do some cool stuff like the stress testing, number one. We do have the models, so we can learn the names of the muscles. We have an exam coming up about that. The classes themselves, they’re really interesting. You have exercise physiology, clinical for exercise physiology, you have kinesiology, which is really fun.

My family always supported me by telling me that school is really important. I am basically the first one to go to college in my immediate family. I have a little brother; he is 11 right now. That is really motivating at some point for me because I know that at least I’m going to have that little guy who’s going to be following my steps, you know?

I’m always dreaming of something big because, you know, the bigger you dream the better it’s going to be. The more challenged you’re going to feel, than the harder you’re going to try, that’s what I think.

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