A Tribute to One of My Role Models

Happy Birthday to One of My Role Models—Val Arizzi

Bravery is usually associated with those who potentially risk their lives each day for us, such as soldiers, police officers, and firefighters.  There is no question that we should be grateful for their sacrifices to help keep us safe, but bravery can come in many forms besides those professions.

Some of the most courageous stories that I know of involve immigrants.  How fearless do you have to be to come to another country, not speaking the language, knowing very few people, all hoping to improve your family’s life?

One such story involves that of the Arizzi family.  Virgilio Arizzi left Genoa, Italy, in 1955 with a dream to create a new life for himself and his family in the United States.  He settled in Elk River and went to work for the Senestraro family, who had previously come to America from Italy, on their dairy farm.  Two years later, in December of 1957, Virgilio’s wife, Elvira, and their three kids, Ermanno (10), Valerie (6), and Isa (3), sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Genoa to New York City.  The two-week sailing trip was miserable for the entire family as everyone suffered from seasickness below deck in the ship’s hold.  It was also not a pleasant trip because of the crowded conditions and poor food.  Ermanno had taken some English lessons before the family’s departure, and the family relied on his limited English skills to get by during the trip.

The Arizzi Family (Back row—Virgilio, Ermanno, and Elvira.)
(Front row—Val and Isa)

The Arizzi Children (Val, Isa, and Ermanno)

Val Arizzi (what a cutie!)

After coming into New York Harbor, (Ellis Island was closed at the time), the family took the train from New York City to San Francisco with other stops along the way.  While they no longer had to deal with seasickness, conditions were frigid, traveling on the train in December. 

Reuniting with their dad in Elk River, Ermanno and Valerie attended school in California just one month later.  Brave? Yes.  Gutsy? Yes. Unthinkable? No, because this was a gamble that many immigrants were willing to take.  For the Arizzi’s, it certainly proved to be a good bet.  Virgilio went to work for the Senestraro family on their dairy farm in Eureka (Elk River) for many years, and he and Elvira lived a happy life, raising three terrific kids who have gone on to make their mark in the education world.  Ermanno was an Ag teacher at Eureka High School for many years. Val taught for a short time at St. Bernard’s and then worked at Humboldt St.  Isa still works for North Coast Children Services.

Virgilio and Elvira came to America not speaking any English, but in the late 1960s became American citizens when they passed the citizenship test.   

I’m telling this story because, without their bravery, Valerie (Val) would not have become an influential person in my life.  Val is celebrating a milestone birthday today, and I want her to know how much I appreciate what she did for me. 

Moving from rural North Dakota to California when I was starting high school was a bit of a culture shock for this naïve teenager.  I was indeed a fish out of water when I first arrived.  Walking into a new high school when I didn’t know anyone was a bit intimidating.

Sometime in my early high school years, Val came into my life as a youth minister for CYO (Catholic Youth Organization).  As an impressionable teen, I needed the positive influence that she provided as I found my way.  She was a spunky lady with a big personality.  I liked her immediately.  She had an infectious laugh and was fun to be around.  We teased her lovingly, and she could dish it back just as well. 

Val and Pete

Val (foreground)

Val

One of my core beliefs is that we all need role models in our lives, and Val was that for me.  People can be leaders in many ways—Val led by example through her actions.  I don’t remember all her lessons, but I recall her making me feel good about myself.  Val’s actions remind me of one of my favorite quotes by American poet and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, who once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

When I graduated from high school, I was still searching for what I wanted to do with my life.  Being around people like Val made me think about working with kids.  One of my first educational experiences was as a camp counselor at the same summer camp I attended in high school.  I was suddenly in charge of a different group of elementary-age kids each week.  It was an enormous responsibility for an eighteen-year-old to be out in the woods on overnight hikes with kids who may have had little to no experience camping before.

I went on to become an elementary school teacher for thirty-one years, and I’d like to think that I was a good role model for my students.  I wasn’t a perfect teacher—far from it, but my students knew that I cared and would do whatever I could for them. 

My first class (5th and 6th grade) I’m the young-looking guy at the top center.

One of the fun discoveries I learned when writing this article was finding out that I share another connection with the Arrizi’s.  I got the opportunity to teach two of the Senestraro boys, Seth and Jesse.  They were two of the smartest and nicest students one could ever hope to teach.  They have gone on to do important things in their lives.  Seth is a dentist; Jesse is a nurse.

I exchanged text messages with Seth when I was about to write this article.  He recalled Virgilio living on the farm until his passing and saw him all the time growing up.  Seth remembered hearing that Ermanno was a role model in FFA for his stepdad and his uncles.  The connections get amazingly deep as Seth got to visit his grandpa’s village in Italy a couple of years ago and met lots of the Arizzi cousins and distant family members.  It is a truly remarkable story that from this isolated tiny village of a few thousand people, many Italian families reconnected in Humboldt County in northern California.

When we get a chance to influence someone’s life positively, we should take that opportunity.  The metaphor that I think of is that we are like relay runners in a race. Someone hands off the baton to us, and we run with it for as long as we can.  We give it our all until it’s time to pass it on to the next runner.  I’ve passed on that baton now to my students, and I want them to run like the wind.  I wish my good friend, Val, the happiest of birthdays and thank her for carrying that baton to hand off to me.

(left to right) Pete, Val, my amazing wife Debbie, and our dear friend, Joyce

Debbie, Pete and Val