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Sunday, November 10 2024

Maria Laura Nemtala found a new passion for American cheese pizza as an exchange student.

Like many other exchange students from Bolivia, Nemtala came to the United States with a dream for a better education. She was born and grew up in La Paz, Bolivia and was raised by her mom alongside four siblings.

Nemtala was very fortunate in that her natural intellect opened up many opportunities. One of those opportunities being to attend Colorado State University to study biomedical sciences.

While at CSU, she experienced many levels of culture shock: She had to learn English from scratch; she joined a sorority, a concept not familiar in South America, to make new friends; and last but not least, she discovered the joy of American cheese pizza!

Cheese pizza
Photo via Envato Elements

WHAT DID PIZZA OFFER NEMTALA?

For anyone living in the U.S., this story may seem like your typical, “she started a pizza shop” story. However, what Nemtala did with this passion is pretty impressive.

After returning to Bolivia post-graduation, Nemtala began making fabulous homemade pizzas in her kitchen. She was able to find a local shop that had the cheeses needed to make it taste the way she loves.

She started offering the pizzas to her neighbors, and quickly people were making large requests for these pizzas. People would offer money for her to make the pizzas fresh, which evolved into an at-home business. Nemtala would find herself working in a science lab by day and by night she and her siblings would prepare stacks of pizzas, with only one oven to bake them.

This became a source of income for the family, which would later help pay for her brother to have the same opportunity: To go to college in the United States. 

Nemtala would find herself working in a science lab by day and by night she and her siblings would prepare stacks of pizzas, with only one oven to bake them.

WHAT DID SHE LEARN FROM HER CULTURAL FLUIDITY?

Maria Laura Nemtala didn’t just learn to speak English during her four years in the United States. Rather, she learned how to take what she learned from this new culture and apply it to her familiar culture.

Nemtala was able to introduce pizza in a new light and ultimately provide for her family. She leads with one very important lesson, “Try not to be afraid of change.”

What may have been someone else’s greatest fear, jumping into a new country with a completely different lifestyle, changed Nemtala’s life for the better. She was able to take her cultural fluidity and make something beautiful from it.

For anyone reading, ready to jump into a new culture, remember to focus on how you can grow in the new environment.

Assortment of italian pizzas in a shop display. Female workers serving the pizzas.
Photo via Envato Elements
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About Author

mcline

Born in the suburbs of Littleton, Colorado, Macayla has always been a dreamer. In her university years, she became a fierce advocate for cultural inclusivity within her writing, breaking down the barriers of biases. She enjoys time with her chocolate lab, reading and tasting new foods around the world. Macayla has a love for great coffee and warm weather. If you don’t find her spending time with her family, she is at the local bridal shop helping beautiful brides find their dream wedding dresses. Brides of all backgrounds and love stories seek out her expertise in fashion for their “big day.” She found Culturs to be a celebration of life and the all encompassing platform that matches her diversity interests. As a child, she was very active within her community and was able to expand on talents including dance, singing and leadership. However, she found that she felt happiest in the comfort of her home whilst reading, writing and watching movies. A home body at heart, but a mind that is seeking out of world exploration and understanding. Her content is relevant as she takes the time to be thoughtful to deeper meanings, abolishing biases and strives to continue learning.

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