PROFILES IN DIVERSITY: Ayleen Pittar

Four years ago Ayleen Pittar left her home country of Peru to move to America and live with a father she hardly knew. The reason for this change was so the studious and hardworking Pittar could find a better life for herself.

It didn’t feel like a better life, however – at least not at first. Pittar didn’t speak any English and had to use Google Translate for every word of her high school ESL reading assignments. Her academic frustration was intensified further by acute homesickness and the lingering bitterness of having to abandon her position on Peru’s Junior National Volleyball Team.

The upheaval, culture shock, and alienation were almost too much for her to bear.

After about a month, however, Pittar’s characteristic resolve kicked in. “I’m here,” she thought, “so I might as well get the most out of it.”

That she did. Now an NJCU sophomore with a double major in Chemistry and Biology, she has a near fluent command of the English language and her impressive work ethic extends well beyond her classroom assignments; she is a fixture at NJCU from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., working at a variety of campus jobs. She is a math tutor; student ambassador; assistant to the dean of Arts and Sciences; and a lab assistant, helping professors set up for their chemistry classes.

NJCU also reacquainted Pittar with her love of volleyball. She joined the team midway through her freshman year. “She is skilled, hardworking, and selfless,” notes Coach Robert Cole, “both on and off the court.” Now that the fall volleyball season (and its rigorous schedule) is over, Pittar is committed to looking for even more work to help her family with the bills. As if that weren’t enough, she’s also considering a volunteer position at the Hoboken EMS squad.

Pittar hasn’t visited Peru since arriving in the U.S. She doesn’t have time. Instead, she uses her summer vacations to strengthen her medical research knowledge, getting accepted into programs and workshops at Rutgers and NJIT. She was also chosen for the prestigious Hispanic Center of Excellence Summer Youth Scholars Program (SYSP).

“So school never really ends for me,” she says.

It’s an exhausting life, but one with clear goals: after NJCU, Pittar plans to go to medical school and pursue a career as a neurosurgeon. To put it another way, Pittar came to this country to get a better life for herself – and that is precisely what she is doing.