Robinson Goes Global

A graphic depicting the diversity of RHS.

With the a new school year, Robinson has welcomed many new students from countries around the world. Some are here for military reasons, others for foreign exchange programs and they’ve all had to experience acquainting to American culture and Robinson itself. The Knight writers staff spoke with three foreign students, Tom Weston (’27), Antoine Gau (’25) and Mario Caballero (’25).

Q: Why did you move to America?

TW: I moved to America [from Spain] because of a military job that my father was given and accepted.

AG: I moved to America [from North of France] because my dad works on the base. He’s in the military.

MC: I moved because my dad is in the military, and he has to work here for a few months.

Q: Is Florida the first place you moved when you came to America?

TW: Florida was the first place I moved and will most likely be the only place I will stay.

AG: Yes, it’s my first time.

MC: Yes, Florida is my first place in the US.

Q: How long do you plan on staying?

TW: For 2-3 years minimum but depending on what I want to pursue as a career I may just end up staying in America.

AG: I will stay in the United States for three years.

MC: I have to stay until January because that’ll be the end of my experience here.

Q: How has your transition been?

TW: With being in a military family I am very used to changing and adapting to different places, so the transition has been very easy.

AG: At the beginning, my transition was complicated because I didn’t understand English well, but later when I started to understand English well, my transition [was pretty smooth]. I am able to make friends and the teachers helped me a lot to integrate.

MC: I thought the transition was going to be difficult because of the language, but it was really easy. I met another foreign guy the first day [Antoine] and we adapted together.

Q: Have you adjusted? Made a lot of new friends?

TW: I would say I have adjusted; the heat was a bit surprising at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I’ve met a lot of people, but I would say I have a few close friends which I’m happy with.

AG: Yeah, I’ve made a lot of friends.

MC: I have adjusted very easily and I’ve made a lot of new friends, it’s going to be so difficult returning back to Spain because I don’t want to lose their friendships.

Q: Has Robinson been welcoming?

TW: I mean, Robinson has been pretty welcoming I would say, not much is really different, all the people still treat me the same. I just get the occasional teasing for my accent which I always find funny, so that’s no problem at all.

AG: [The people at] Robinson are very welcoming and are always there if I have a small problem or question; it’s a very good school.

MC: Yes, I think that [the welcoming environment] is one of the best things [about Robinson]. People don’t care about my race or my culture and they make me comfortable.

About the Contributors

Jadyn Grayes, A&E and Multimedia Editor

Jadyn Grayes is a senior at Robinson and the A&E and Multimedia Editor of Knight Writers. This is her third year on staff and her second year as an editor.

This year, Grayes decided to continue journalism because she enjoys the experience, her classmates and the environment.

“I chose journalism, because, well, one, I'm an editor and two, I really liked the environment and the group of people that I've come to know in my years in journalism,” Grayes said.

In an ideal world, she would be an immigration attorney, after witnessing her mother's experiences as an immigrant.

“Yeah, career-wise, I would be an immigration attorney because my mom is an immigrant. When I was little, hearing about her experience, like coming to America, made me want to help people going through the same thing. And growing up finding out that there was a career that enabled me to do that. It just kind of like set a fire in my heart," Grayes said.

Outside reporting for Knight Writers, Grayes is also on the cheerleading team. She tutors younger children in her spare time.

"Because kids who have been through a lot of stuff, big time, they kind of have like a wall that you have to get through. So, it also helps me learn to like to put myself in other people's shoes, especially when you're teaching and it gave me a lot of respect for teachers because I never realized how tough it could be getting through to kids," Grayes said.

If there was one thing she could teach the world, it would be to treat each other with respect and kindness.

“Honestly, you just never know what people are going through. Like I would say I'm pretty emotionally intelligent. But I never realized that people tend to hide so much so well. So I think just having empathy for everyone, no matter how they treat you, is one of the biggest things I'd have to face," Grayes said.

Profile by (Winter Carbajal)

Sofia Scott, Staff Writer

Sofia Scott is a junior at Robinson and a staff writer. This is her first year on the staff. For most of high school, Scott has wanted to join the Robinson newspaper staff. Now that she has the chance, she's excited to jumpstart her journalism career for the Knight Writers. "I've been wanting to take journalism for so long, but I always had a bunch of classes that I needed to take so I wasn't getting put into the class, but I finally got it," Scott said. Scott is excited to write stories that express her opinions in newspaper and allow her to interact with people around the school by interviewing people for stories and gaining their input for events. "I prefer to interview just because I actually like interacting with people and I feel like it's a fun way to do journalism. I just like interacting with people and interviewing them and getting their opinion, " Scott said. Outside of newspaper, she participates in numerous school clubs such as Knightmare and Student Government Association (SGA.) She plans to rejoin Knightmare this year and is eager to begin with her first year as an SGA member. As Sofia enters her last years of high school, she plans to attend college or trade school to become an esthetician, keeping in line with her interest in beauty and makeup. "I think I'm going to move towards going into psychology when I major in college, maybe later I go to a trade school or become like an esthetician or something like that because that stuff has always interested me," Scott said. (Profile by Whittaley Bowden)

Knight Writers

Knight Writers

Knight Writers

rhsknightwriters

Robinson Goes Global

Comments (0)