Growing Up with Every Step
My life in the US has been an ideal mental change. Here I have learned that we are similar but different in a same way. Our countries might be different in size but we share the same love for people, the freedom to choose your beliefs, and the opportunity to follow your dreams.
Living in the U.S. has taught me that I need to be more independent. Here I learned to do my own laundry, walk on the street, and sometimes cook (I used to do that at home but here I do not always have the time). Here I learned that I can do a lot by myself.
Here I learned to love my country even more, and to promote what the real Dominican Republic is and how Latin American countries can be; how the people can be so loving and caring; and that some people do realize, in fact, that we are not located in Africa.
Being a foreign student has taught me that what for me can be a weakness in my country can be a strength in a foreign one. Having my accent makes me proud because it is an opportunity to share with people that I am different. I am glad that I came to the U.S. and that my English has improved in a way that wouldn’t be possible without this exchange experience. I am glad to be part of this opportunity, where I grew no only in a professional way, but also as an individual.
Name: Koral Melissa Núñez Javier
University: The University of Evansville
Country: Dominican Republic