International Students reflect on their experiences moving across countries

From the outside, sophomore Lucia Acosta seems like a normal Bay Area teenager. But when you begin to talk to her, there’s one thing that sticks out: her thick Spanish accent. Acosta moved from Madrid to Palo Alto in 2017. After moving, she struggled to adjust. “At first, it was really challenging, but eventually I got used to being here,” Acosta said. Other than the major difference...

“Why are the cars moving so fast?” was what eleven-year-old Maanasa Viswanath thought when she came to America. Viswanath moved from India in 2016, just in time to start sixth grade at Jane Lanthrop Stanford Middle School. The American schooling system contrasts sharply with Viswanath’s former education. “School is definitely easier here,” she said. “It was much harder in India becau...