student stories

Adapting, Achieving, and Aspiring: Stories from Newly Arrived CPS Students

Adapting, Achieving, and Aspiring: Stories from Newly Arrived CPS Students

This series highlights the voices of newly arrived students from countries around the world, with a focus on Latin America, as they share their unique journeys through Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Their stories shed light on the challenges they face, the triumphs they achieve, and the resilience they demonstrate while adapting to a new education system, language, and community, all while planning for their futures. By amplifying their perspectives, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of their lived experiences and inspire meaningful improvements in how CPS supports these students on their paths to graduation and beyond.

Adaptarse, Lograr y Aspirar: Historias de Estudiantes Recién Llegados a CPS

Esta serie destaca las voces de estudiantes recién llegados de diferentes países, con un enfoque en América Latina, mientras comparten sus trayectorias únicas en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago (CPS). Estas historias iluminan los desafíos, triunfos y la resiliencia de los estudiantes al adaptarse a un nuevo sistema educativo, idioma y comunidad mientras planifican su futuro. Al elevar sus perspectivas, buscamos fomentar una comprensión más profunda de sus experiencias vividas y explorar cómo CPS puede brindar un mejor apoyo a estos jóvenes mientras navegan su camino hacia la graduación y más allá.

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Andrew

Andrew, a recently arrived student from Ecuador, arrived during his junior year of high school and now lives in Chicago with his two younger brothers and parents. He attended his neighborhood high school on the West side of Chicago. Although his parents graduated from high school in Ecuador, Andrew will be the first in his family to attend college. He is about to begin his studies at a community college, marking the start of his journey toward a bright future.

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Alondra

Alondra is 20 years old and arrived in Chicago from Peru at the end of May 2023. She currently lives with her mom, aunt, cousin, and younger brother. Since she was little, Alondra has enjoyed playing volleyball, a passion she has maintained over the years. She completed her final year of high school at a school in northwest Chicago before taking the next step in her educational journey to college with the STAR Scholarship.

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Diana

Diana, born and raised in Mexico, spent most of her childhood there until, at around eight years old, she moved to Chicago with her father and twin brother. Now at 18, she is the first in her family to graduate high school and attend college. Currently, Diana lives with her father, stepmother, and three younger siblings on the South Side of Chicago. She is pursuing a radiology degree at a community college on Chicago’s South Side

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Leslie

Leslie is 18 years old and from Michoacán, Mexico. She arrived in Chicago just over a year ago, in August 2023, along with her parents. She is the youngest child, and her four older siblings remain in Mexico, where some of them have graduated from college. Currently, Leslie is studying at a community college in northwest Chicago. Leslie is passionate about dancing, and her dream is to become a professional dancer after graduating from college.

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Nikita

Nikita is a student who arrived in the United States from Kazakhstan during the second half of his junior year of high school. Settling into his new life on Chicago’s West Side, he attended his neighborhood high school and had to quickly adjust. Nikita lives with his two sisters and parents, both of whom are college graduates from Kazakhstan. He is the first in his family to pursue higher education in the United States, with a plan to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology.

student stories

Ronald

Ronald arrived in Chicago five years ago with his family in search of new opportunities. Although he was born in the United States, he spent most of his childhood in Honduras after moving there at six-years-old. Before settling in Chicago, Ronald lived in Houston, where he attended high school for one year in ninth grade. He later moved to Chicago, where he continued and completed his high school education. Now, Ronald lives in Chicago with his family, reflecting on the differences in educational systems and adapting to his new environment. He is interested in studying civil and mechanical engineering and is currently enrolled at a community college in northwest Chicago.