Being the “new kid” can be very challenging because you are not familiar with the school environment or the student body. NCAI is an international school, meaning that we have many people from all over the world that form our community. However, this can be a challenge as well because students have to adapt to a mix of cultures they may have never encountered before. I have talked to several people who are doing this very thing, which is adapting to the environment in NCAI.
Rodrigo Cabrales was born in Nicaragua and has lived in Nicaragua for his whole life. He transferred to NCAI this year to 11th grade. All of these students were willing to answer questions about their experiences so far in NCAI.
Amelie and Sydney Martin are sisters who are originally from Michigan but have been living in Nicaragua for about 8 years. Amelie is in 9th grade and Sydney is in 12th grade.
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Rodrigo Cabrales-11th grade
- How is NCA different from any other school you have attended? How are you enjoying your first year at NCAI?
The first thing I noticed was how my classes switched drastically, like literally everything. The other things, the policies were utterly different, like from entrance time to dress code. Yes, I am enjoying this year in NCAI. I consider NCAI a safe environment, and most importantly, people are so welcoming and friendly.
- What is your favorite thing about NCA so far? Any class, event, activity, etc?
My favorite thing about NCA is the classes, especially British Literature and AP Spanish Language and Culture.
- If you could look back at the end of the year, how would you describe a successful year?
I would describe a successful year as a year of personal development and growth. I would say that this applies to growing not only spiritually, but also academically. If you want to be successful, every detail matters in your academic life and outside of school. Also, I would say that determination and dedication are the keys to success outside or inside NCAI.
Bonus question:
- Do you have a favorite holiday? Why or why not?
My favorite holiday is Christmas because it’s a time to spend with family, but most importantly, it’s a time to celebrate the birth of Christ and always remember that He is our Savior.
Amelie Martin- 9th grade
- What is it like to have a sibling who also attends NCAI?
It’s honestly really nice having a close sibling to help out in school, whether it’s random last-minute homework or just someone to annoy during study hall.
- How is NCA different from any other school you have attended? How are you enjoying your first year at NCAI?
Given I’ve only ever attended one other school other than NCAI, I can still tell that NCAI is very unique and I’m so happy to be a part of it.
- What is your favorite thing about NCAI so far? Any class, event, activity, etc?
I have to say my favorite thing about NCA is the people. Over a short time, I’ve been attending this school, I can see that everyone treats each other like family.
- If you could look back at the end of the year, how would you describe a successful year?
At the end of the year, I hope to be able to say I made somewhat of an impact. I’m not sure what that would look like, but I’m sure God has a plan.
Bonus Question
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I would probably say smoothies. I know that’s not a specific food, but you can’t go wrong with smoothies.
Sydney Martin- 12th grade
- How is NCAI different from any other school you have attended? How are you enjoying your first year at NCAI?
I have not attended any other schools but NCAI. I previously studied online. I’m enjoying NCAI a lot so far. I like that I get to meet new people and learn more than I previously had online, which has also been great.
- What is your favorite thing about NCAI so far? Any class, event, activity, etc?
My favorite thing about going to NCAI is to no longer have to deal with that nagging feeling of not being good enough when teaching myself in online classes. The freedom of just attending them instead is so extremely freeing.
- If you could look back at the end of the year, how would you describe a successful year?
My goals for this year are to simply learn more before I go to college. I’m taking a gap year and what I’d consider a successful year would be to have learned enough to where I feel confident in my education. Confident enough to where I can finally relax and just be ready for the next step that I got to take.
- How is it to have a sibling who also attends NCAI?
It is nice to have a sibling who attends NCAI for many reasons. I enjoy that I have someone to count on, sit with you, or just hang out while you’re new and still meeting new people.
Bonus Question
- If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
If I could describe myself in one word, it would simply be “curious”. I picked this word simply because I’ve never lived a day when I wasn’t curious and uncertain of what the next month or week might look like. I’m curious about literally everything because everything about this world, including God and his people, tell a story I could only ever begin to understand.
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
Special thanks to Rodrigo Cabrales, Amelie Martin, and Sydney Martin for participating in the interview and taking time out of their day to answer these questions.
