Real estate agent, Amy Morel made the move from Manhattan to Northeastern Pennsylvania in 2011. The fiercely independent daughter of a housekeeper and a cab driver started out with her sights on a culinary career. She put herself through a few years at City Tech in Brooklyn only to realize that she needed something more.
She recalled spending a summer with a friend’s family in NEPA and, while a little uneasy with all the quiet, she decided to move and make a go of it. At just 20 years old, with $50 in her pocket and her two young children at her side, Amy found herself staying with a friend in Scranton. And it wasn’t long before she discovered that the “something more” she was missing in her life was room to grow and breathe.
Amy got right to work, first in the local food services industry then at Harper Collins in Moosic. After a few years, she quickly proceeded from staying with a friend to her own apartment to owning her very own home in Dunmore. She credits the process of buying her home as the moment the light switched on. She thought of her parents and all the people like them who had come to the U.S. with a dream, but with no one to help them achieve it. In 2019, Amy received her real estate license, and she immediately put it to use assisting the Latin American community of NEPA.
We recently caught up with Amy at her office in Clarks Summit. And while she showered love all over her Dunmore neighbors, her children’s teachers and coaches, police officers and community leaders, we squeezed in a few questions, like Why NEPA?
How long have you lived in NEPA?
I’ve lived here for fifteen years now.
What do you love about your town?
I love the community aspect of it. I love how everyone looks out for their neighbors. I just love the idea that I have great neighbors here in Dunmore and Scranton. That’s really the thing that makes living here so special to me.
What’s your favorite NEPA restaurant?
So, I am from New York. You know that means I am big on pizza. And I have to say, in my opinion, the best pizza that comes as close to New York pizza is Rosario’s in Clarks Summit. They have that nice thin crust. I might go there right after this interview. They’re right down the block. But that would be my top favorite restaurant in Northeast Pennsylvania. I just love pizza. So, that’s my go-to spot.
What’s your favorite thing to do in NEPA?
I love to take walks. So, either I am walking the trail at Nay Aug Park or up at Lake Scranton. It’s so peaceful. I love the scenery and I love to be in the woods. Now, when it’s 25 degrees out – heck no. Then, I’m going to be at the gym on the treadmill staying warm. I can visualize the trees and the birds chirping. As soon as we get a nice day though, even in the winter, I’m out there walking.
What’s next for you?
I don’t know if it’s going to too dorky or too cliché, but I’m a big believer in just letting God lead me. I didn’t come to NEPA thinking, “Oh, I’m going to be a realtor.” God gave me that thought, and I went with it. So, it’s more like wherever he puts me, I know that I’m going to be like, “Alright, I’m here. Let me just go with it.” My goal is to keep prospering and to keep building and to create that safety net for my kids. But if it doesn’t have God involved in it, then I don’t want it. That’s kind of where I’m at right now. I really love to mentor and I love to teach. So, if the future held a plan where I’m helping young realtors find success or helping people become real estate agents, then that would be great.
Where do you see NEPA heading in the future?
I see it growing more and more from here. A lot of new people are coming here every day. I can even see Scranton becoming like a little New York City. We have this amazing growing diversity of people and cultures. And I think that attracts more people. I know we’ve all been hearing about it for years, but if the Scranton/New York train actually happens, that could drive a lot of growth and bring a lot more people to NEPA. I just hope and pray that we can still maintain the beauty of the area. You know, with the old buildings and the landmarks – all the things Scranton is known for because that’s what made me fall in love with it.
Why NEPA?
I’ve chosen to serve the NEPA area as a realtor because of the high volume of the Latino community. And with me being bilingual and coming from that background, I want to help them understand that they can own a house here. They can go to that next step. I want to show that community that there is a path to home ownership and to building something more. I think a lot of people in the Latino community do not understand that or they see it as a far reach, and it’s really not.