From the Philippines to Barlow

Moving from country to country can be difficult for anyone, especially when it includes moving to a new school and making new friends. We have many students at Barlow who have moved across the world and now attend our school. Jayden Garcia, a freshman, is one of these students. She moved here from the Philippines last year and talked about her moving process and what it’s like here. Living in the Philippines is a lot different than living in Oregon. Garcia mentioned it was always rainy and hot or sunny and hot in the Philippines. There are a lot more things to do here than there, for example, she talked about how camping is more like glamping in the Philippines. In Oregon, you can go to the nearby forests and go camping the more traditional way. Since she has moved here, schooling has been a big change. For example, math is taught differently. Garcia had to relearn math before she got to high school. “Now I’m in advanced math,” Garcia mentioned proudly. Since coming to Barlow, she has made many new friends through the dance team and her classes. When she reflects back on the Philippines, she misses the beaches. “They are so beautiful,” Garcia reminisces. The malls are very beautiful there, and she also misses her friends and family that she had there. She wants to travel back, but the time isn’t lining up at the moment. Garcia’s biggest challenge she has faced since moving to America has to be making new friends. In the Philippines, she had her friend group and many people were mean, but here people have been kind. The change has been very overwhelming and different, but Garcia is enjoying attending Barlow and living in America.