“I am my mother’s savage daughter.”
The song was echoing out of Jennifer Perelstein’s choir room at Nimitz Middle school. There are a handful of girls in the class, another ten or so are joining virtually. They are using the song to learn how to write music. But maybe there’s more to the music than just the notes.
“I love choir,” said eighth-grader Angelica Garay.
Garay is attending school in-person. She’s singing along with the music, following the words on a page. She’s wearing a hoodie and is relatively soft-spoken. But maybe there’s more to her than meets the eye.
“I really like doing photography and editing videos,” said Garay. “I like to bake; my parents are bakers.”
Her parents make some of the best enchiladas music teacher Jennifer Perelstein has ever had.
“They are so good,” said Perelstein. “Her family makes enchilada plates and sells them. They then use the money to buy coats for people in the winter.”
Garay explained how her mother came up with the idea, just as a way to help others.
“My mom, she just really likes helping people,” said Garay. “She used to be a caretaker; she just really loves doing that.”
It’s a lesson not lost on Garay, much like this lesson in choir class.
“Mrs. Perelstein has had a great impact on me,” said Garay. “She pushes me to reach for my goals and dreams. She’s made me brave. She gives me confidence. She has accomplished a lot in her life, and I want to be like that; I want to accomplish a lot.”
Garay’s mother and choir teacher are helping Angelica and other young women #Discover their full potential.
