From Nicaragua to Ivy League: A Chalmette High senior celebrates full-ride to Yale

CHALMETTE, LA. (WVUE) - Before he ever opened a college acceptance letter, Norman Morales opened every classroom door for his mom, giving her the high school tour she never had.

A month before graduating as valedictorian of Chalmette High School, the senior walked his mother, Kathlyn Morales, through the school’s halls for the first time. The moment was a quiet milestone in their 12-year journey together in the United States since immigrating from Nicaragua in 2013.

As a single mother, Kathlyn said she left Nicaragua seeking better opportunities for her children.

Norman was 7 years old when they arrived in Louisiana. He still remembers the confusion of his first Mardi Gras.

“He was like, ‘Mom, do we get to keep these beads? Or do we have to give them back?’” Kathlyn said.

Settling in St. Bernard Parish brought its own challenges. Norman said the early years were lonely and disorienting.

“The first couple of years were rough. I didn’t know the language. I didn’t have any friends,” he said.

“He used to call from school and say, ‘I feel sick, Mom. Can you come pick me up?’” Kathlyn recalled.

They both understood that learning English quickly would be key to building a life in their new country.

“I knew I had to pick up the language because good grades resulted in a better future,” Norman said.

Kathlyn said the St. Bernard Parish Public School District welcomed them with open arms. Teachers gave Norman extra support, not just academically, but culturally.

While her son gradually adapted, Kathlyn focused on survival.

“I had worked in restaurants. I had worked in hospitals. I had worked in housekeeping,” she said.

As Norman’s English improved, he began teaching his mother what he could.

“I can speak English, but I’m not fully bilingual, 100 percent. So there are some things I don’t understand,” Kathlyn said.

“Let’s say we go to eat at a restaurant, I would explain the menu. Or even when she went to a new elementary school to sign me up, I would have to explain to her what to sign, put the address, everything,” Norman said.

Norman said he grew up fast, translating school forms, watching his sister, managing chores and helping his family navigate the immigration process.

Even with all that on his shoulders, he excelled in school.

“They said, ‘Your son has potential,’” Kathlyn said. “I said, well, I’m his mom. I see his potential because he’s my son. I didn’t quite understand how meaningful it was, what they were telling me.”

Kathlyn started seeing straight As on report cards, school awards, and her son thriving in extracurriculars, from sports to theater. But the scope of his ambition became real when he began applying to colleges.

Norman dreamed of attending Yale University, but worried he wouldn’t get in, and didn’t want to leave his family.

“He would say, ‘Mom, you’re dreaming too big.’ And I told him, because I know you can do it. Go do it,” she said.

She was right. In December 2024, Norman received an email: he had been admitted to Yale with a full ride through the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship.

“When (my mom and I) saw each other in person, no words were spoken. It was mutual words — we did it. We did it. We gave each other the biggest hug. We did what we came to do in the United States: pursue the best education that her son could get,” Norman said.

To thank her, Norman wrote an essay nominating Kathlyn for Chalmette High’s Parent of the Year award. He described how she rarely attended school events because of work and language barriers, but how her love and support were always felt.

Kathlyn received the award in April at a St. Bernard Parish School District ceremony.

“No best friend, no other person can relate to me as much as my mom can, because we’ve been through the same hardships. We went through everything together, so putting that into words was easy to me,” Norman said.

For Kathlyn, it wasn’t about the award; it was about seeing her son become a man.

“I feel... what can I even say... I feel happy,” she said. “All of his fear is gone. He’s now so brave. And now, he doesn’t stop.”

And Norman said he won’t stop until he can give his mother the life she sacrificed everything to build.

“I just want to get in a position that has a job that gives me the salary that will help me cover the necessities for her and make her live in a place where she doesn’t have to stress about the next bill,” Norman said.

“Please record that. Send it to me. Because I need it for proof,” Kathlyn said.

Norman plans to study business and law at Yale and is considering a future career in immigration law.

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