New faces, places don’t let him forget home

Ivan Salamenca Ramirez used to live in El Salvador, but more recently he lived in Los Angeles County, in the city of Huntington Park.

“I moved because I just wanted to have new experiences somewhere else, and meet new people,” he said. He and his father moved to the Fairfield area about two years ago, but Salamanca still misses his friends and his neighborhood. He plans to visit in the future to remember “those good moments” he had as a child.

He’s adapted well to his new environment. “What I like the most about Armijo is the staff,” he said. “They are really nice people, willing to help you on anything you need.”

COVID impacted Salamanca in a way that was more physical than mental. “I had to stay home and I would be eating the whole time,” he said. For an athlete, that could have been detrimental, but he didn’t let it derail his dreams of the future.

Salamanca loves soccer so much that he hopes to play it professionally, but he also knows that a college education will help him develop security. “I just can’t pick yet what I want to do,” he said. In the meantime, he has developed his soccer skills with Armijo’s varsity team, but he’s not stopping there. “Soon I will be joining the Contra Costra College soccer team,” he said. His future is bright as he has been committed to playing soccer there next season, along with fellow Royal Giovanni “Gio” Zarate.