It is always interesting to move to a new home, but it’s a lot different moving from country-to-country. There are ways to overcome the difficulties of moving, including meeting new people, having a positive attitude and making the best out of something new. 

All the way from Chile, South America, junior Rafael Gonzalez traveled to the United States to begin a new journey with his family. He often reflects back to his simple life in South America, following his routine and doing things around his community, but also doesn’t want to take this new opportunity for granted. He wants to embrace his kindness and offer it to all the new people he meets just as he did in Chile. 

Something that is very important to Gonzalez are the positive friends around him that truly allow him to be himself. According to Gonzalez, he has made lots of friends since his arrival to Eagle High, but he also looks back to his life in Chile and all the friends he had there. 

“Living in Chile was fun because I used to train a lot with my Chilean friends,” Gonzalez said. “It was an easy lifestyle because I got used to doing my daily routine.” Going to school and spending time with his family was a huge part of his daily life in Chile. He would live his life to the fullest with his friends, and they would train every day for rugby to be really good at it. 

Gonzalez moved to the U.S. over two months ago and there has been a huge sense of change ever since he arrived. It was a great opportunity for him and his family to essentially begin a new life around a new environment. The move was a great benefit to his parents and their work opportunities, striving to make a better living to support their family. The Gonzalez family is very supportive and helped him ease into the new school environment since he used to attend private schools.  

Another significant change that Gonzalez has faced while living in Eagle was the great deal of freedom. In Chile, it wasn’t the best place to walk around at night since there are a lot of criminals, but he likes that there isn’t as much to worry about here.  

Religion is another thing that stands out to Gonzalez. He’s not used to diverse religious communities, and there are many religious people in America, according to Gonzalez. 

The transition between the schools in Chile in comparison to Eagle High have been significant. He explains that there are a lot more to the public schools in America compared to the schools in Chile, where the teachers show minimal effort. 

“People are very kind in my classes,” Gonzalez said. “Public education is very good here.” It has been a breeze for Gonzalez so far; creating good relationships with his teachers and other students has been no problem and all he’s received back from them is nothing but pure respect and kindness.  

Educationally, Gonzalez has maneuvered through the difficulties of Eagle High, and he has people helping him on his way. He strives to do better each and every day and does that by communicating with his teachers. 

“Teachers here want you to learn through different ways and to improve in classes,” he said. He’s worked through challenging situations and his teachers, and the people around him have greatly influenced that. Gonzalez will continue to outweigh the differences between Chile and Eagle, but there is just as much to embrace than there is to reflect upon.