The Chelsea Significant Faculty Class of 1971 held their 50th superior college reunion over the weekend and a common encounter joined them from far absent.
Alba Lucia Pelaez arrived to Chelsea Large College from Colombia as a international exchange pupil for 18 months thanks to a scholarship from the Civitan Club.
When she 1st arrived, she spoke no English and invested time finding out the language and tradition, and in the fall of 1971, commenced having her lessons to graduate with a diploma.
“It was a fantastic experience,” Pelaez recalls. “When I went back again to Colombia, I was happy to say that I graduated in the U.S. It was a quite distinctive opportunity. This was my 1st vacation back to Chelsea in 50 decades. I haven’t been back given that I graduated.”
Her daughter manufactured the excursion with her and was glad she did and was happy of what her mom did all these many years ago.
While so a great deal time had passed, Pelaez reported she and her friends nevertheless adore each and every other following 50 years and reported numerous of the girls had been like sisters to her.
“These girls, I used a good deal of weekends in their homes,” she explained. “It was a attractive memory that I under no circumstances lost.”
Ruth Hartley, a member of the class of 1971 stated Pelaez came into their class a couple of months immediately after she uncovered English.
“She started off in the tumble of 1971 and graduated in 1972, but we claimed her,” Hartley said.
Around the reunion weekend, some of the customers of each courses met at Lloyd’s cafe on Friday night time for a shock welcome occasion for Pelaez. Saturday, the reunion was held at the Weldon Pavilion at the Chelsea Sports activities Intricate.
Through her go to, Pelaez stayed with her previous classmate Terry Foote. Quite a few of the females obtained jointly there and experienced a cooking lesson on building her well-known carrot cake.
“Alba is really nicely identified in Bogota for her carrot cake,” Hartley mentioned. “It’s a recipe she took from right here and perfected it in a Colombian feeling. She taught us how to make it.”
On Tuesday, Pelaez headed again to her property in Pereira, Colombia, but explained her take a look at was a blessing.
I’ve definitely appreciated [Chelsea] as one particular of the ideal destinations that I appreciate,” she said. “I’m going to attempt to occur again future yr so we can make the celebration of the course of 1972.”