Katie:
I have always wanted a new girl to come to my school so that we could be best friends. A childish dream, but a dream none the less. The kids in my class were nice, but I always felt left out. In fact, I don’t remember a year where I haven’t wanted a new girl to come to school and be my best friend. The only year my dream came true was 5th grade. Halfway through 5th grade I walked into the classroom to see a blonde-haired girl staring back at me. Throughout the rest of the year we got to know each other. She was extremely smart whereas I was more creative, but that didn’t stop us from becoming great friends. It wasn’t till a few months after she joined our class that I learned she was an immigrant. It surprised me because at that time my view of an immigrant was someone who couldn’t speak English and didn’t have enough money to buy clothes. Ciara was the exact opposite. She spoke perfect English, had the most beautiful handwriting ever and she and I had similar tastes in clothes!
Ciara:
My name is Ciara Renaud, and I am 14 years old. I am going into the 10th grade at Panther Creek High. I moved to the United States in the fall of 2009 from Canada. Since 2009 I have attended 7 schools in 8 years. I love the US especially North Carolina. My favorite part is all the opportunities that are readily available here. In Canada, our house is 20 minutes away from the closest town, and it is very tiny. Canada is more rural, with Universities mainly in the big cities like Toronto. I am very lucky because in Canada English and French are spoken equally so I didn’t have to jump over the language barrier. We moved to the United States when my Dad got a great job offer down here in Cary NC. The only problem with this was that my mom couldn’t get a job. Back in Canada she worked at a University. If my dad lost his job or got sick for any reason we would have to leave America. I am Canadian and American. Canada has their 150th anniversary and I wish I could show my patriotism, but I love America and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!
