Four years ago, Camila M. moved from her home in Colombia to Delaware, with her mother and her step-father. The move was difficult and she could barely understand English. “It was hard because I didn’t know the language very well. I couldn’t understand what people were saying. Sometimes they talked too fast, or they talked to me and I couldn’t really answer back.” Camila had to learn English in order to understand the culture because it was different from what she was used to back home in Colombia. While learning English, she gradually got used to the new atmosphere and culture around her. In addition to the difficult culture, Camila hardly knew anyone. Her parents played a very important role in her life after she moved. The change had its challenges  and Camila was not sure if she would be able to handle it, as she states, “I was very upset because I missed my friends and family. I wanted to go back to Colombia. I didn’t feel like I could learn the language well enough to stay.”

    At some points, Camila just felt like giving up. Things were difficult, and after a while, understanding started to be too much for her. “The first year when I moved, it was 2010 in the summer. I visited Colombia in 2011 and didn’t want to [come] back.”  She had made some friends at her new school, but it was not the same as all her friends and family in Colombia. It also took her a while to make friends because she still did not completely understand English.

    Despite these challenges, seeing the same people everyday was a big help to Camila. She did not think that she would fit in. Camila thought that they would make fun of her for not knowing English. To her surprise, they accepted her for who she was and helped make the change easier.

    After a long time, she got used to English and all the differences from her old home. Camila then moved up from middle school to high school. In Colombia, students do not change schools, but rather stay in the same school until twelfth grade. The change of schools was different for her but she grew accustomed to it. Her new school, Padua Academy, offers many courses, including a foreign language. This year, she made the decision to learn Italian instead of getting an easy grade in Spanish. The third language was a challenge, but Camila does not think it was as hard as learning English, as she states, “Although [Italian is] challenging, it’s easier for me because some words are similar. I think it’s great to learn different languages because it opens up many other doors and options.”

    Camila has made many amazing friends since she moved and although she misses Colombia, she knows that she will visit again soon. Delaware has become her home, but it will never replace her old life in Colombia.