Two years ago, Jenna Leglu returned to the home she grew up in, along with her husband of 17 years and two children. They wanted to be closer to family. Jenna says, “Since I grew up here, it truly feels like home to me! But I always loved it and wanted to raise a family here. The wide tree-lined streets and beautiful homes make me feel like I’m living in a movie sometimes. Not to mention the great schools and close access to downtown Walnut Creek.”
Jenna was born in Walnut Creek and grew up going to Walnut Acres, Foothill Middle School, and Northgate High School. She danced at Dance Connection and was a cheerleader at Northgate HS. She obtained her BA in psychology from San Francisco State. Ryan was born in Santa Clara and raised in Livermore. He grew up an avid outdoorsman and earned his Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts. He obtained a BS in Business at Cal State Monterey Bay.
Jenna and Ryan met in 2000 in San Ramon at an over-18 dance club. “It was a short-lived fling,” says Jenna. At 18 years old their “long-distance relationship” couldn’t weather the demands of school and work. “The relationship lasted just a few months; Ryan would come to watch me perform as a Warriors Girl when the Warriors were practically giving tickets away. Times have certainly changed!” Five years later, Jenna’s sister Natalie spotted Ryan at a Trader Joe’s in San Diego. “With a little internet sleuthing I was able to get his phone number and called him out of the blue one night,” adds Jenna. They were engaged two years later.
After dancing with the Warriors, Jenna danced for the LA Clippers, LA Lakers, and the Oakland Raiders. As a Raiderette, she was able to dance with her sister Natalie, a very special experience. Later she taught Pre-K for 9 years. Her time as a Raiderette made her a huge Raiders fan, while Ryan’s allegiance is to the 49ers. So while they are a house divided over football, they both root for the Warriors and the Cal Bears. Ryan’s love of camping and backpacking is a perfect fit with his career as he is now the Director of Digital Operations at The North Face. Their Denver headquarters means Ryan has to travel for work but is able to work remotely as well.
Julian, a 6th grader at Foothill, loves baseball, and as a lefty has enjoyed 1st base and pitching. He also loves the beach, friends, learning, Roblox, video games and sleeping (as all 11-year-olds do!). Gia, a 3rd grader at Walnut Acres, loves dance, like her mama. She dances at The Dance House and enjoys cheerleading too. She also loves writing, her family, skincare, friends and their dog, Cava. Cava is a one-year-old Samoyed. She came to the family after the Leglu’s moved to Walnut Creek. They spent four years in Colorado for Ryan’s work where they made wonderful lifelong friends.
Now that they are back in the Bay Area, the Leglus spend a lot of time with their extended families, taking annual trips to Arnold, Bass Lake and Lake Tahoe and getting together often. Ryan is a true MacGyver, doing house projects and rebuilding a 1986 Harley Davidson (1 of only 1000 made). He is also an amazing cook and griller/smoker, and the Leglu home has become a gathering place for family dinners.
Jenna’s family heritage has created some fun traditions. Her father, Alan, is an Italian American and a member of the social club The Fratellanza Club in Oakland. Jenna and her siblings grew up going to huge family dinners there. Ryan is now a member too. Jenna’s mom, Teresa, was a Native American Indian and a member of the Lakota Sioux Tribe. “I grew up visiting my grandmother in South Dakota who lived on a reservation. We attended Pow-wows, and I learned I am a descendent of Crazy Horse. We have taken our kids to the Stanford, CA Pow-wows to help immerse them in their Native American heritage.”
Like so many other people who grew up here in Northgate, Jenna is grateful to be able to return to the neighborhood she grew up in. Jenna reflects, “We’re extremely happy to be back in the Bay Area and setting down our roots in this amazing town. I’m so fortunate to be able to call my first home my forever home. It’s something we don’t take for granted.”
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991; Photos provided by The Leglu Family