Different Country, Different Culture

Sriwarshini Sivakanthan

Judit Binu Maisie Smith

Different Country, Different Culture

by Lucy Poppleton staff writer

Exploring the experiences of three Central students who moved to Traverse City from different countries around the world

Photos Courtesy of S. Sivakanthan

or most of Traverse City’s history, diversity has been lacking, but the Central community has a few unique students who relocated here from elsewhere on the planet. For many of these students, this new chapter of their lives began after a parent secured a new job in Traverse City. From Sri Lanka to England to Oman, Central students have distinct stories to tell about their experiences growing up in both the US and their home countries. “In the beginning, I was really excited, but on the moving day, I was really sad [because] I [had] to leave my family. But when I got here, my first expression was ‘this is amazing,’ and I loved it,” shares Sriwarshini Sivakanthan ‘24. “[As time] passed, I started to miss my family, so I started contacting them every single day.” Sivakanthan moved to Traverse City from Sri Lanka, an island off the coast of India, after her mom became a Registered Nurse. Her family relocated to New York and then Chicago, each for a few months, before moving to Traverse City. Moving here ultimately allowed her to improve her English and get to know herself better, although it was a challenge at first. “When I moved here, I learned a lot from people, and I learned that being nice is important, and it impacted me a lot. I feel like I’m changing over time. I’m getting to know people a lot better and getting to know myself a lot better,” Sivakanthan reflects. She hopes to go back to Sri Lanka someday but loves living in Traverse City. “I love Sri Lanka, I love my family and my friends, I [love] the school, and I want to go back there so that I can get my whole experience back and can talk my own language instead of speaking English and [get] to eat [my] food again.”

FAfter her dad was offered a job in Traverse City nearly seven years ago, Maisie Smith ‘22 crossed the Atlantic from Northampton, a small town in England. Moving far away from her friends and family helped Smith become more outgoing; “That first day of school I had to be outspoken, and I had to try and make friends, which is something that I [didn’t] really have to do before that,” Smith states. She had seen movies and TV shows about life in the United States, but she was surprised at how friendly people in the US were and how easily she formed new friendships. “I was kind of apprehensive about it, especially about knowing no one here,” remembers Smith. “But after that first day of school, I just became really excited about all of the new friends that I had made and all of the new people that I had met and all of the different experiences that I had [went through].” Judit Binu ‘24 was born and raised in Oman, a country in the Middle East. She moved to Traverse City about one year ago, after her mom was hired at Munson Medical Center. “[The] USA is a dream for many people to come [to], and we were so happy after we passed our embassy interview,” chimes Binu. Once she came to the United States, Binu had to adapt to her new home country. She missed her church, good Indian food, and her friends from Oman. “I never knew

Photos Courtesy of M. Smith

Graphic: M. Swope

I could adjust here this easily because I thought people would not talk to me; I thought Americans would not like me,” explains Binu. “But then I found out that teachers here were so cool and the kids here were super friendly. I love this school; I love [these] people all around me.” Although she has been successful in connecting with people here, Binu looks forward to visiting her friends in Oman soon. She adds that her favorite part of Traverse City so far are the different seasons. In Oman, the climate is the same year round. “I love [this] place because [of] its natural beauty,” explains Binu, who enjoys seeing the changing leaves and falling snow. “It’s the first place where I experienced fall and winter, even spring.” School is a major part of students’ lives, no matter where they live. According to these Central students who grew up elsewhere, school here differs from school there in some major ways, particularly in class schedules. “We have [a] really good education there, but the classes are really [stressful]. We [had] thirteen subjects in Sri Lanka,” compares Sivakanthan. “But still, our school ended at 1:30 and we had different classes [on] different days.” Binu agrees that school in Traverse City is less stressful and mentions that teachers here are more approachable and kind. Both Sivakanthan and Smith also note the different structure of math classes. “Here you go through math [with] Algebra one year, Trig the next year,...whereas in England, you do all of that in one year, and then as you go up, it just gets harder,” notes Smith. All three mention how people in Traverse City were kind and welcoming when they started school here. “I had really high expectations when I got here, and all my expectations [were met],” remarks Sivakanthan. “When I got here, I knew that people [were] going to be really nice because I [was the] new kid, and they were,...and I got to meet new people.” For this extraordinary group of Central students, the reality of living in the United States exceeded their initial expectations. Relocating introduced them to new people and a new culture, and in return, they found themselves. “I love this place; I love my friends; I love my family; I love every single person I know,” exclaims Sivakanthan. “This is the best life choice I’ve ever [made] to move here, and I [would] never change it.” //

Photos Courtesy of J. Binu