Imagine moving somewhere where you don’t speak the language perfectly, you don’t know many people, and you feel out of place. It wouldn’t be very fun at first.

The United States of America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Many people make the hard transition to come here from a different country to live out the American Dream. There are several students at Abington High School who have left their former homeland to make a new home here. They come from places like Syria, Egypt, Brazil, Columbia, and more.

Freshman Leticia Meneghetti moved here from southern Brazil when she was fourteen years old. Luciano daSilva moved here from northeast Brazil when he was 10. He is now a freshman. And Raiany Faria, also a freshman, moved here from northern Brazil five months ago.

They all said that life was very different in Brazil compared to here. There wasn’t much access to technology in Brazil and they feel as if they have a lot more opportunities here in America.

It took a while for everyone to get adjusted to a daily routine here. daSilva stated, “I was terrified when I first moved to Abington. I didn’t really know anyone.” Meneghetti was also extremely nervous; “I cried my first day of school because I felt so out of place, almost like I didn’t belong.”

Being in a school in Abington made a difference. Faria, daSilva, and Meneghetti all said that the Abington community was full of welcoming people who made their transitions easier, because moving into a new country can be very overwhelming. They said a handful of kids who bully other kids due to their nationalities and ethnicity will probably always exist, but for the most part Abington High School made their transitions easy. The schools gave them new opportunities to succeed and welcomed them with open arms. Overall, Abington’s community as a whole tries to ensure that all their students feel safe and welcomed.

When asked if there was any advice they would like to give to other foreign students who are thinking about or have already made their difficult transitions, Meneghetti said, “no matter how many people aren’t nice or are prejudiced, there will always be someone who truly cares and wants to help.” Faria stated, that “you might be nervous at first, but trust me it’s worth it. It’s very nice here and I encourage those of you who are thinking about it to take that next step.” And daSilva’s advice is, “things might get a little difficult, but never give up and just keep going because I promise things will get better.”

I think we should all be very proud of those who persevere through their transitions, because they are truly very strong individuals and bring new ideas and diverse experiences to the school.