Leslie’s Student Story

This story was originally written in Spanish.

Meet 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.

Leslie’s Path to College

For Leslie, the differences between schools in Mexico and the United States were notable from the beginning. “En México las escuelas son muy abiertas, rodeadas de naturaleza, y puedes salir a tomar aire. Aquí todo está cerrado [In Mexico, schools are very open, surrounded by nature, and you can go outside to get some fresh air. Here, everything is closed off],” she explains. Academically, she noticed that in Mexico, students face an intense workload, and teachers are strict, leaving the responsibility of learning entirely up to the student. On the other hand, “aquí te ayudan muchísimo en clase [here, they help you a lot in class].”

The pandemic also shaped her educational experience in Mexico. “Me hice muy cerrada, muy introvertida, muy asocial y se me dificultaba hacer amistades [I became very closed off, very introverted, very antisocial, and it was hard for me to make friends],” Leslie shared. However, after therapy, she experienced what she calls her “best era [moment],” building amazing friendships and connections. “Vi como que la vida que siempre quise tuve un círculo de amigas muy lindo. Ah. Tuve vínculos muy lindos después de haberlo trabajado en high school [I saw the life I always wanted. I had a very lovely circle of friends. Ah. I had great bonds after working on myself during high school].”

“Vi como que la vida que siempre quise tuve un círculo de amigas muy lindo. Ah. Tuve vínculos muy lindos después de haberlo trabajado en high school. [I saw the life I always wanted. I had a very lovely circle of friends. Ah. I had great bonds after working on myself during high school].”

Leaving all of that behind to start a new life in Chicago was a significant challenge. “Ya tenía todo lo que necesitaba y estaba feliz, pero tuve que mudarme y empezar de nuevo (…) Fue muy difícil porque dejé todo lo que quería y de nuevo, hacer la vida desde cero en un lugar nuevo. Pues fue difícil [I already had everything I needed and was happy, but I had to move and start over […] It was very hard because I left everything I loved and had to start life from scratch in a new place. It was hard].”

Leslie and her family decided to move to Chicago to meet relatives they hadn’t had the opportunity to see before and to seek a better future. This change represented a significant challenge for Leslie, who had to adapt to a new life in a country with completely different customs, language, and educational systems. Fortunately, her relatives supported her transition. “Tener familiares que ya viven acá me ayudó mucho para manejar la vida acá [Having family who already lives here helped me a lot to manage life here],” Leslie shared, explaining how the support from her family network was key to facing the initial difficulties of the transition.

“Tener familiares que ya viven acá me ayudó mucho para manejar la vida acá. [Having family who already lives here helped me a lot to manage life here].”

The biggest challenge, according to Leslie, was adapting to the U.S. educational system. “Más que nada, las diferencias que había, como adaptarme al nuevo sistema educacional que es muy diferente al de México [More than anything, it was the differences, like adapting to the new educational system that’s very different from Mexico],” she explained. However, Leslie also found moments of unexpected joy in her new life in Chicago. “Pude ver a mi grupo favorito de kpop, Enhypen, que nunca creí que vería viviendo en México [I got to see my favorite K-pop group, Enhypen, which I never thought I’d see while living in Mexico],” she shared excitedly.

One thing Leslie wishes she had known before moving to Chicago was how to navigate the language and the educational system. “Conocimiento del inglés siempre me gustó. Siempre me integraron a clases de inglés en la escuela y estaba muy interesada. Entonces, avancé mucho [I always liked English. I was always enrolled in English classes at school and was very interested. So, I made a lot of progress],” Leslie shared, reflecting on how her personal interest in the language helped her prepare. However, arriving in a place where English was spoken all the time presented unexpected challenges. “Lo sabía, como ya lo entendía. Pero se me dificulta mucho hablarlo, más que nada por pena, porque soy muy introvertida. Pero ya estoy mejorando grandemente [I knew it, like I understood it. But speaking it is very hard for me, mostly because of embarrassment, because I’m very introverted. But I’m improving a lot now],” she said with determination.

“Lo sabía, como ya lo entendía. Pero se me dificulta mucho hablarlo, más que nada por pena, porque soy muy introvertida. Pero ya estoy mejorando grandemente. [I knew it, like I understood it. But speaking it is very hard for me, mostly because of embarrassment, because I’m very introverted. But I’m improving a lot now].”

Leslie found key support in two of her high school teachers who made a significant difference in her experience. “Mi maestra de historia, fue muy dedicada y empática [My history teacher was very dedicated and empathetic],” Leslie recalled. “No solo enseñaba, sino que se preocupaba por sus estudiantes. Me ayudó tanto emocionalmente como académicamente y siempre estuvo para resolver mis dudas [She didn’t just teach; she cared about her students. She helped me both emotionally and academically and was always there to answer my questions].” Leslie attributes part of her teacher’s impact to her empathy and youth, which made it easier to connect with her students. On the other hand, her English teacher, though he didn’t speak Spanish, also played a key role. “Él me retó de manera muy linda a hablar inglés porque me decía: ‘Eres capaz, yo sé que tú puedes.’ Incluso en mis momentos más bajos, me impulsaba y confiaba en mí [He challenged me in a very kind way to speak English because he would tell me, ‘You’re capable, I know you can do it.’ Even in my lowest moments, he encouraged me and believed in me].” Her teacher even recommended a book to help her in her process of adapting.

One of the hardest moments during her transition was arriving in the U.S. just as other students were applying to college. “Sí, fue difícil porque tenía un plan ya en México, como ya tenía universidades y todo. Acá, pues, otra vez, empezar fue difícil, pero con ayuda pude gratamente encontrar opciones [Yes, it was hard because I already had a plan in Mexico, like I already had universities lined up and everything. Here, starting over was hard, but with help, I was able to gratefully find options],” Leslie explained. Despite the barriers, she maintained her goal of continuing to pursue dance as part of her academic career, though she had to adjust her expectations due to financial constraints. “Estaba buscando el plan de seguir el baile, pero donde había estaba muy fuera de mis recursos económicos [I was looking into a plan to continue dancing, but the places offering that were far beyond my financial resources].”

“Estaba buscando el plan de seguir el baile, pero donde había estaba muy fuera de mis recursos económicos. [I was looking into a plan to continue dancing, but the places offering that were far beyond my financial resources].”

The financial aspect has also been a challenge for Leslie and her family. “Estamos muy limitados. He visto los que no somos ciudadanos de Estados Unidos porque ellos les otorgan mucha ayuda por serlo. No pude aplicar a FAFSA, pero la STAR Scholarship me ayudó mucho [We are very limited. I’ve seen that for those of us who aren’t U.S. citizens, it’s hard because they offer a lot of aid to citizens. I couldn’t apply for FAFSA, but the STAR Scholarship helped me a lot],” Leslie said, recognizing how crucial this support was in advancing her education. Although the path hasn’t been easy, Leslie remains focused on taking advantage of the opportunities available to her.

Despite these challenges, Leslie has found ways to enjoy her free time and stay connected with her family. “La verdad, hasta ahora solo es como dedicado a la escuela, el baile y más hobbies como repostería. También me gusta experimentar mucho cada vez con nuevos postres. Ah, pasó mucho tiempo en familia también [Honestly, for now, it’s just dedicated to school, dance, and other hobbies like baking. I also like experimenting a lot with new desserts. Ah, I spend a lot of time with my family too],” she shared.

“La verdad, hasta ahora solo es como dedicado a la escuela, el baile y más hobbies como repostería. También me gusta experimentar mucho cada vez con nuevos postres. Ah, pasó mucho tiempo en familia también. [Honestly, for now, it’s just dedicated to school, dance, and other hobbies like baking. I also like experimenting a lot with new desserts. Ah, I spend a lot of time with my family too],”

Navigating College

Navigating college has been a different experience for Leslie, who is currently studying at a community college. While she appreciates the support she received in high school, she feels that college lacks a similar level of guidance and empathy. “Me gustaría tener un mejor consejero o alguien más empático en el college. De hecho, creo que ni tengo consejero, solo es un advisor. Sí, me gustaría más ayuda porque acá es como que solo están haciendo su trabajo [I’d like to have a better counselor or someone more empathetic in college. Actually, I don’t even think I have a counselor, just an advisor. Yes, I’d like more help because here, it feels like they’re just doing their job],” she commented.

However, Leslie also highlights the initial support she received from someone whose specific role she doesn’t recall, but who helped her significantly during her enrollment process and in choosing her classes. “Siempre la recuerdo, me ayudó mucho [I always remember her; she helped me a lot],” she said gratefully.

“Siempre la recuerdo, me ayudó mucho. [I always remember her; she helped me a lot].”

Despite the challenges, Leslie hasn’t lost sight of her dreams. Her most ambitious goal is to become a professional dancer, a goal she acknowledges is difficult but not impossible. “Creo yo que mi mayor meta, mi sueño, sería cumplir eso [I think my biggest goal, my dream, would be to achieve that],” she explained, adding that although it now seems less likely, it’s still something she’s deeply passionate about. For Leslie, this dream represents not just a career but the culmination of years of dedication and effort in something that brings her joy and purpose.

The Support That Helped Leslie

• During her transition to the United States, Leslie’s history teacher and English teacher provided her with immense support. The teachers offered not only academic help but also emotional and motivational support.
• The support from her family and friends in Mexico was also crucial for Leslie during this period. Although the distance made constant contact difficult, her siblings, friends, and parents never stopped encouraging her. “Sabían que estaba siendo muy difícil para mí y estuvieron siempre conmigo, no me abandonaron [They knew it was very hard for me, and they were always there for me; they didn’t abandon me],” she explained.
• In addition, her psychologist in Mexico played an important role in helping her open up emotionally. “Al inicio estaba muy cerrada, pero cuando acepté que necesitaba ayuda y me permití recibirla, pude mejorar [At first, I was very closed off, but when I accepted that I needed help and allowed myself to receive it, I was able to improve].” This experience led her to reflect on the importance of asking for help, something that had been difficult for her due to her initial resistance to adapting.
• Beyond this personal learning, Leslie reflects on the importance of sharing her experience to help others. “Me he dado cuenta de que lo que me pasó a mí le podría estar pasando a muchas otras personas. Y lo que más me ayudó fue permitir que me ayudaran [I’ve realized that what happened to me might be happening to many other people. And what helped me the most was allowing others to help me],” she noted. For Leslie, normalizing the need for emotional and educational support is key for other students in similar situations to find the help they need.

Leslie’s Hopes for the Field

• Leslie hopes that in the future, educators can be more empathetic and understanding of the experiences of immigrant students like her. For Leslie, this sensitivity is key to helping students adapt and thrive in their new environment. “Me gustaría que los educadores fueran más empáticos y comprensivos con lo que los estudiantes están pasando. Eso tiene un gran impacto, aunque no lo crean [I’d like educators to be more empathetic and understanding of what students are going through. That has a huge impact, even if they don’t realize it],” she reflected, emphasizing that emotional support and understanding can make a big difference in the adaptation process. Leslie also noted that her initial resistance to adapting wasn’t unusual, especially among immigrant students. “Es muy difícil porque, una vez que ya viviste toda tu vida allá, parte de ti no quiere adaptarse. Quieres volver. Y eso hace que no estés abierta al cambio [It’s very hard because once you’ve lived your whole life somewhere else, part of you doesn’t want to adapt. You want to go back. And that makes you not open to change],” she explained. She recognized that this attitude can make it harder for students to ask for help and emphasized the importance of educators understanding this emotional process. “A veces, los estudiantes no piden ayuda porque simplemente no quieren estar ahí en primer lugar. Es difícil, pero los profesores deben encontrar maneras de conectar con ellos [Sometimes, students don’t ask for help because they simply don’t want to be here in the first place. It’s hard, but teachers need to find ways to connect with them].”
• Additionally, Leslie encourages other students in similar situations to allow themselves to ask for and accept help. “Esa ha sido la clave para mi progreso y bienestar [That has been the key to my progress and well-being],” she assured. She acknowledges that this step isn’t always easy, especially for those who arrive with a strong attachment to their roots and face the difficulties of adapting to a new system. However, she is convinced that opening up to support can transform students’ experiences and make their academic and personal integration easier.