BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Angelee Pabón found a place at El Batey at the age of 15.
"Originally, I started coming to Bomba," said Pabón.
Until 2017, El Batey was just a 250-square-foot dream. Lessons of Bomba would soon blossom into a Puerto Rican Culture Center for the youth.
"A small little apartment that I had, and we just kind of took out the bedroom and kitchen and laid down some hardwood floors for the dance studio," said Jose Flores.
Fast forward seven years, the center has expanded into a 10,000-square-foot space for young students like Pabón to grow.
"I started dancing, drumming and singing. A year later, I started drifting toward my passion for Jiu-Jitsu," said Pabón.
El Batey has been able to merge music and martial arts to give students a center with a variety of options while they learn about history and culture.
"To hear them read stories, hear stories of our heroes: Pedro Albizu Campos, Lolita Lebron," said Flores.
The overall goal is to build relationships within the community. Pabón gives back by working as a junior Jiu-Jitsu coach.
In addition, she recently joined the El Batey board.
"This helped me advocate for the youth in our community and get involved in our community, meeting new people so we can get fundraising for El Batey," said Pabón.
Up next for Pabón is attending Canisius University in the fall while continuing to work at the center, because of the unmatched feeling.
"You just see the ray of light that they bring in. They love to have fun. But you also see their focus and dedication to learning new techniques," Pabón said.
Long-time coach Jose Flores says that watching students like Pabón decide to get more involved is a step in the right direction.
"To see her step into that leadership role is amazing. She's the future of tomorrow," said Flores.
