Bronwen Hunt

Instructor: Mr. Crawford

Course: English 101

Genre: Memoir

January fourteenth of two thousand and six was my first day of high school. I was in eighth grade at Penryn College, a large school situated in a gorgeous bush field sitting on a hill overlooking Nelspruit and the Crocodile River Valley in Mpumalanga, South Africa. I was fourteen-years-old when I enrolled in high school. In South Africa, eighth grade was the beginning of high school. Penryn College is a private Christian school. It was a drastic change compared to the other schools I had previously attended. Our uniform consisted of a blue, white, and red plaid skirt and a white blouse with the school’s badge and logo, “One And All.” Mondays and Fridays we wore a blazer and tie, because we had a short morning church service in our school chapel.

The first day I ambled down the pathway to my new school, it was overwhelming. The school was enormous compared to what I was used to. The largest school I had been a part of was composed of about ninety students. There were a vast number of people who went to Penryn. I only knew a few individuals who went to pre-school with me. It was exceptionally loud with people chatting, giggling, and catching up with each other since we had recently come back from summer break. I will always remember the smell of the first day, freshly cut grass and the smell of food being cooked in the hostel. It was a clear, sunny day with a cool breeze. There were plenty of things happening on the first day. Students were trying to find their classes, teachers rushed to get their classes, and eighth graders were panicking, not knowing where to go. School pictures were taken outside, and then all the scholars, except the eighth graders, were led into the chapel. When we entered the chapel, everyone applauded and cheered as we marched down the stairs to congratulate us in making it this far. We were given a sincere welcome speech by the principal, Mr. Greg Theron, and then introduced to the Student Executive, the twelfth graders. For the remainder of the day we stayed in the chapel doing orientation activities and getting to know the school as well as other students.

From that day on, I have made many close friends, worked diligently at my lessons, and had many wonderful experiences. One of the highlights of my ninth grade year was going on the Fanie Botha Hiking Trail. It took us five days to tread the trail with backpacks. The entire ninth grade went on the hike, and later we had to reflect on our experience in an Afrikaans report. I was really touched by the beauty of nature. When we came for a holiday in 2002 to visit family in America, my mother submitted her resume for a job as a teacher. The fifth of February two thousand and eight was a turning point for my family. We were moving to America! My mother was offered a job as a second grade teacher in East Baton Rouge, so my younger sisters and I had no choice but to come. Leaving the school and all my friends created considerable regret. I had to start over yet again by meeting new people, getting to know St. Francisville, and trying to adapt to my new surroundings.

School is different in America. I had to get used to spelling words differently, and had to pay close attention to what people said in order to understand what they were trying to tell me. I got to choose which classes I wished to take because they were not prescheduled for me. I found it easy to make friends. Since I was from another country, people wanted to know what it was like where I was originally from. It has taken me a long time to get used to living in America, but I realize now that we live a safer and freer life here. By that I mean, we do not need electrical fences or bars across the windows, nor do we worry about people breaking into the car or house like we might in South Africa. Most people do not realize how dangerous South Africa is. They go for a holiday expecting it to be a safe place to relax and enjoy the beauty of it all when it is actually the opposite. Some of the people who live in South Africa are demented. They hide behind bushes to attempt rape, mugging, and killing. This has all changed for us, however.

My friendships have not ended thanks to Facebook and Skype, and I have made many new friends in St. Francisville and Hammond. The change has been a challenge, but I have had many new experiences. Some of these experiences are riding in the creek with friends on three wheelers, being able to wander around without worrying about people jumping out from behind bushes, being able to graduate from high school, and moving out my parents’ house. We are all grateful for how well the move has turned out for us and hope our paperwork will all go as planned for getting our Green cards. It was a huge transition for my family and me, but we are all enjoying America and plan on being here for a long time. We still visit my dad’s side of the family in South Africa during the summer break and have a tremendous time seeing them and sharing experiences, but we genuinely look forward to coming back to our safe environments in St. Francisville and Hammond.