Standing in the sand with a surfboard grasped in one hand and shading the bright California sun with the other, Eduardo Galindo Van Zeller is eager to experience the surf culture similar to his hometown of Lisboa Portugal.
So far, Zeller really enjoys PRHS’s dynamics because there are more opportunities for student involvement, clubs, sports, classes. In Portugal, there are 12 classes to take on a daily basis which creates a more stressful environment and atmosphere.
“School is a lot easier here because you have a lot of options. In Portugal they just give you the classes you have to go to. We don’t have leadership, auto, business, or FFA,” Zeller said.
Taking advantage of the sports teams at the high school, Zeller has joined the varsity football team. After playing rugby in Lisboa he is getting to know a similar but also very different sport, making note of the biggest difference-- how football stops “every five seconds.” Besides the technical obstacles, being on the football team has made Zeller’s transition to PRHS easier.
“I started practicing football a few days before school started so I made a lot of good friends. My first day of school wasn’t hard at all, it was pretty nice.”
After ten years of surfing and plans to pursue it in the future, Zeller has the special opportunity to be on Morro Bay High School’s surf team. Even though Zeller prefers the waves in Portugal, he still looks forward to getting to know the surf culture in California.
Zeller decided to travel to the United States and California specifically for the beach, new culture, and opportunity to get out of Portugal. Zeller speaks English and Spanish but hopes to learn a new language. So far Zeller’s favorite part about California has been the farm culture and coast. He has been able to visit Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, and Morro Bay.