Making a Home in Bemidji: Ana Lucia Ibanez Castro and Gabriel Castro Checo

Leaving home can change the way you see it.

For Gabriel Castro Checo and Ana Lucia Ibanez Castro, coming to Bemidji State has meant building new lives as student-athletes while carrying the places, people and cultures that raised them along the way.

For Gabriel, that journey began in Puerto Rico.

Moving from a warm, tropical island to Bemidji, Minn. has been a big change. He misses the celebrations, the food and the familiar feeling of home, but being away has also made him appreciate those things in a different way.

Connections Through Food

Food has become one of the ways Gabriel brings Puerto Rico with him. He cooks dishes from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, including one of his favorites: rice and beans with fried pork chops.

After a long day of training, it gives him the energy he needs. But there is something more behind it.

That feeling became especially real during a trip to a Latin restaurant in St. Cloud, Minn. Gabriel ordered steak with rice and beans, and the cook happened to be from Puerto Rico.

Eating food that reminded him of home while talking with someone who shared that same connection gave him a feeling he had been missing.

Carrying Their Cultures With Them 

It is moments like that that remind Gabriel that even though he is far from Puerto Rico, he does not have to leave his culture behind.

He wants to share it with his teammates, too. Whether it is through food or simply telling them about where he comes from, he hopes to bring a little piece of Puerto Rico to Bemidji.

Ana Lucia knows what it means to carry more than one culture with her.

Her dad is Mexican and her mom is Venezuelan, so she grew up surrounded by both cultures. Family has always been at the center of her life, and being away from home has only made her realize how important that connection is

Sharing Her Culture Across Campus 

Now, Ana Lucia finds ways to bring home to the people around her.

She plays Latin music for her friends and teammates, shares pictures from home, and brings back Mexican candies for them to try. She loves sharing what she grew up with, from food to music to the little things that remind her of home.

Staying Connected Through Culture

For both Gabriel and Ana Lucia, staying connected to their cultures is also about staying connected to their families.

Gabriel carries the lessons his family taught him, especially the importance of never giving up. His mother often tells him to “think outside the box,” a reminder to step outside his comfort zone and find another way forward when things get difficult.

Ana Lucia has felt that support from her family even when they are miles away.

During a semester when things were not going the way she hoped, her family continued to show up for her. They watched her tennis matches online and searched for her in posts and articles.

Being away from home has taught her that support does not disappear with distance.

It has also taught her that asking for help and accepting the kindness of others can be part of finding a home somewhere new.

At first, balancing school, athletics and life in a different country was difficult. Even the school system felt unfamiliar. But over time, Ana Lucia found her rhythm and began to feel like she had two homes: Aguascalientes and Bemidji.

That feeling is something Gabriel has found in his own way, too. He came to Bemidji knowing he wanted the opportunity to grow, and he has embraced the challenge of being away from his family.

He knows it is not always easy, but he also knows the experience is shaping him.

Their stories are different, but the feeling behind them is similar.

They both know what it is like to miss home. They know what it feels like to adjust to a new place, a new culture and a new way of life. And they both have found ways to bring the people and traditions they love with them.

For Gabriel, home can be found in a plate of rice and beans, a conversation in Spanish or a meal shared with teammates.

For Ana Lucia, it can be found in a song, a piece of candy from Mexico, a phone call with her family or the people at BSU who have made her feel welcomed.

Being away from home has not made them feel further from their roots.

It has brought them closer to them.

And as Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, Gabriel and Ana Lucia remind us that culture is not something you leave behind when you leave home. It becomes a part of how you connect, how you support others, and how you create a new home wherever you are.