Adriely Dacruz

Freshman Adrielly Dacruz moved to America in 2017, just before her eighth grade year, from the east coast of Brazil.

“When I came to the United States I didn’t speak english,” Dacruz said. “The language barrier was difficult for me.”

Besides struggling with English, Dacruz described being away from her family in Brazil as the hardest part of coming to America.

“My whole family lives in Brazil, and I’m here with my mom and my auntie, so it’s kind of difficult especially on special dates, like birthdays and christmas and new year,” Dacruz said. “We talk on Facetime and we always cry, but they know we are here to be better.”

Dacruz and her family left Brazil in search of opportunity for a better future, and Dacruz accounts that her family back home understands that.  

“I wish I could grow up in a good life, I want to be something more,” Dacruz said. “We moved here to have a future. Brazil is a good country, but we didn’t have a future there.”

In Brazil the student-teacher ratio is 28 students to one teacher. This impedes the teachers ability to help and handle every student, says the National Education Policy Center, after conducting research on the issue in 2014. In the U.S, the student-teacher ratio is 14 to one, which allows for more one on one time for the students and teachers.

In her home country, electives were not an option, and Dacruz is thrilled to have the option to take the classes that help her pursue her life goals, and learn about what she is interested in.

“Math in Brazil is hard, and all you take is math. You cannot take art theatre or anything, just math and study classes.”