Four years ago, freshman Artun Gunturkun was stepping onto a plane, his excitement unfolding underneath a pile of fear. He was immigrating to the U.S. after living his entire life in Ankara, Turkey. Along with his mother, father and sister, Gunturkun faced the challenge of constructing a whole new life in an unfamiliar country.

Gunturkun and his family first moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and after living there for three years, they moved to Palo Alto. When he first moved to the U.S., Gunturkun’s biggest challenge was learning a new language. “When I first came, I had zero knowledge of English,” he said. “I couldn’t speak or understand (it). That was a really big challenge I had to face when I came (because) when I went to school, I couldn’t understand anything.”

Although Gunturkun’s move was challenging, it was also rewarding: The U.S. promised immigrants like Gunturkun and his family stronger educational opportunities and higher standards of living than those accessible to them in Turkey. In recent years, the Turkish government’s policies have caused extensive growth in the manufacturing sector, according to the World Bank, which has led to inflation. “Here it is not really like that,” Gunturkun said. “We can afford a lot of things that we wouldn’t be able to get back in Turkey, and (those things) could be essential for life. For example, because of hyperinflation, everything from food to houses are much more expensive.”

Although it took him time to adjust to his new surroundings, Gunturkun was able to surround himself with people with shared interests and to access educational resources that granted him unique opportunities. After the changes he’s adapted to and the challenges he’s overcome, he reflects on his growth and looks forward to his life in the U.S. “I made new friends and I went to a new school, but I’m still the same person as I was in Turkey,” he said. “But (after moving to the U.S.) it’s helped me get more opportunities in comparison to Turkey.”

For sophomore Alex Efermova, immigrating to the U.S. from his small town — Krasnoyarsk, Russia — seemed like an impossible privilege because it provided a fresh start.

Because Efermova didn’t have the resources to learn about the LGBTQ+ community in his primarily conservative town, he felt alone in and confused about his identity. “I am a queer person,” Efermova said. “I didn’t know (being queer) existed (until) I was 10 or 11. Growing up, I didn’t know anyone who was queer. It’s so hard to find queer (representation) in Russia, especially in not-that-big of a town.”

The size of his school only made the atmosphere more oppressive. With only twenty rooms in his school, Efermova spent 11 years with the same class of 30 students. “(My classmates were) very homophobic — (they made) fun of gays,” he said. “I was called slurs. It was not very pleasant, but I assumed that there wasn’t anything different.” Even though living in a safe and accepting environment was a dream for Efermova, he doubted it would ever materialize. “I didn’t think it would ever come true in a way that I (could) experience it myself,” he said.

In February 2022, Efermova faced the prospect of something different: life in the U.S. Efermova’s dad, who owned a software company, wanted the family to relocate to Silicon Valley, where he would have more clients. Efermova wasn’t completely on board. “(Moving) to the U.S. was more of my dad’s dream than mine,” he said. “I was not entirely happy about coming here. I’m a person that likes (stability).”

It wasn’t until after becoming accustomed to his new life that Efermova finally found people he could connect with: allies both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community. “I connected (with) a bunch of other people, and now we have (a) friend group,” he said. “As a person who never had many friends, and never was very accepted anywhere, I feel really grateful to (have) my friends. They chose me to be in a friendship with. I feel like this is the best my life has ever got.”

Although Efermova was initially opposed to immigrating to the U.S., he now appreciates his dad’s decision. “I am really grateful (to) my parents for bringing me here,” Efermova said. “Even though it’s not something that I explicitly was dreaming of, America brought me the dream of freedom to be able to be myself.”

Excited for a fresh start, junior Marie Lozada immigrated to Palo Alto from Caracas, Venezuela, in 2021 with her father and brother in pursuit of a safer living environment and educational opportunities.

According to Lozada, Venezuela experienced a social and humanitarian collapse due to a struggling economy and inaccessible necessities for many citizens. Although Lozada lived in a wealthy neighborhood, her living environment became unsafe due to thieves and gangs. “I heard disturbing stories about people being attacked at night, robbed in broad daylight, taken by the police and found dead,” she said.

Initially, Lozada thought that the “American Dream” meant getting married, having kids and working a decent job. However, she soon learned that it meant citizens had the equal opportunity to become successful through hard work and determination. “I wake up every morning to go to school, go to water polo or swimming practice — even if I am tired or have other things to do — and I want to learn more and more about new things by being curious in my classes,” she said.

Lozada said these activities and classes make her proud because they challenge her to stay motivated and improve. “I don’t see them as a hardship,” she said. “I see it as a challenge to myself.”

While Lozada did expect stricter laws and societal norms in the U.S., she was surprised by Americans’ culture of following them. “(In Venezuela,) most people break all the existing rules — legal, social and ethical,” she said.

Lozada’s high school in Caracas was about the size of Gunn’s football field and only offered five classes, with no option for students to change their schedules. With Gunn’s larger campus and plentiful resources, Lozada has been able to make more of her education. “Joining clubs and taking AP (Advanced Placement) classes are challenges for me,” she said. “I’ve never done something like that, and I’m really happy with the results.”

Five years ago, senior Jenny Lee landed in the U.S. after a 10-hour flight from Seoul, South Korea. She anticipated a land of limitless opportunity, famed for gifting its citizens success according to their efforts.

Lee moved to the U.S. primarily for its educational and job opportunities. “(We decided to move so that) I could have more diverse experiences compared to a strict academic environment back in Korea,” she said. In Korea, high school and college admissions are focused on students’ GPAs and scores on the College Scholastic Ability Test, an annual college- entrance exam. In the U.S., however, many colleges employ a “holistic review” process in which they evaluate students’ extracurriculars and life experiences in addition to their academic performance. Thus, Lee’s family hoped to provide Lee with a broader range of activities and experiences through moving.

Since her perception of the U.S. was largely shaped by short summer trips and movies such as “Mean Girls,” “High School Musical” and “Glee,” Lee didn’t expect the competitive environment at Gunn. She had previously envisioned a “free” lifestyle where students pursued their passions and had more freedom. “I was surprised to see that many were actually living similarly to what I’ve seen in my own country,” she said.

After living in Palo Alto for five years, though, Lee has also seen that not everyone can succeed through hard work — contrary to the ideals of the American Dream. “I’ve seen so many cases where economic/financial status, social status, race and heritage predetermines you as a person,” she said. “Depending on relations, family, background, the opportunities that everyone could have vary.”

Still, Lee’s wish to diversify her experiences has been fulfilled, and she is enjoying the wide range of extracurriculars and subjects that she has been able to pursue. “There are significantly (more) majors or interests that you can explore, both in terms of career and schools,” she said.