Sophomore Gabriela Zielinska never would have guessed that in a year, she would have completely uprooted herself and crossed the borders out of her home country, making the 13-hour flight to the U.S. 

Zielinska moved to St. Louis, Mo., in 2023, leaving Poland behind for her father’s job as Head Chef for Casa Don Alfonso. This set her arrival in the U.S. halfway through her freshman year of high school.  

Originally from Zabki, a small city close to Warsaw, Zielinska crossed the Atlantic Ocean on her journey spanning roughly 4,924 miles. Moving to the U.S. was a challenge for Zielinska, primarily because of the language barrier.

“Language [was the most difficult transition], oh, my goodness, I didn’t say anything the first two weeks. I was just quiet, trying to meet people and stuff. It was hard,” Zielinska said. “I was so confused with every new [thing]. Yeah, I was scared the first week.”

For Zielinska, language greatly impacted her social life and educational experience.

“English is my second language, so sometimes I’m just gonna say something [that] doesn’t make sense, but people [take it] as a joke, so it’s funny. It’s more like [a] struggle. But I’m okay with that because I understand,” Zielinska said.

It is sometimes difficult for Zielinska in classes like history and Chemistry because of the language barrier. 

“I do not know what that word means, but I act like I do, so nobody will think I’m stupid,” Zielinska said. 

Though the move was complicated, Zielinska feels her travels influenced her for the better.

“I understand more and more things. I feel like I’m older than some people my age; I’m more mature,” Zielinska said.

Zielinska’s life has been a whirlwind of international moves. She began her journey in Poland, where she was born. From there, she moved to Ireland, then back to Poland, to Sweden, and returned to Poland before finally settling in the U.S.

The educational system was one of the most significant shifts from Poland to the U.S. The learning resources and schedule in Poland created a demanding and overwhelming school environment for her.

“It’s so sad, [we had] so much homework. We didn’t have tablets. We had just notebooks,” Zielinska said.  

School life in Poland included 13 class periods per day, which varied from 6 or 7 a.m. arrival to 5 or 6 p.m. departure. Zielinska felt the pressure of school in Poland and believes it pushes many students too hard, resulting in widespread unhappiness—so much so that the country just introduced a 20% “slim-down” curriculum.

“I feel like in Poland, everybody is so tired of living a life which is not good. I’m talking about teenagers. [mostly] because of how much homework and how [difficult] education is, and teachers are expecting so much from us, that’s what makes them tired, [and] we have no time for anything,” Zielinska said.

CHS curriculum was a welcome shift for Zielinska.

“It’s easier for me because [school was so] hard in Poland. I have time to do everything in class, and stuff [is] easier. Everything I had in Poland in sixth grade, I have right now here. I remember a lot of stuff from Poland, [which] makes it easier [here],” Zielinska said.

Jennifer Adams, a science instructor, discussed how Zielinska’s attitude and friend group influenced her academic success, specifically in Physics.

“Something that is really unique to Gabi was that physics is challenging for a lot of students for whom English is their first language, but particularly challenging for somebody because of all the new vocabulary that’s very specific to physics. What I really loved wasn’t necessarily that she was overly positive all the time, but [she] genuinely wanted to do well and knew that she had to have that motivation and remain focused and do what she had to do to learn. That ended up translating to a really positive attitude in general about physics and just learning and trying. I really admired that,” Adams said.

Adams appreciates Zielinska’s contributions academically and socially.

“The fact that she had a big personality and made friends was very important to her transition and being academically successful, not just socially, but academically too,” Adams said. “Not only did she have a supportive group of friends, but they were high-achieving. It’s important to have a group of people to support you academically because it’s a tough place, you know.”

When reminiscing about the chaos of the time following her move, Zielinska reflects on the positive impact her friends had on her initial experience in the U.S. and how they made her feel more at home.

“[Initially], I was crying every single night to go home because it was that hard for me to get into [the] U.S life[style], but I feel like it’s more my place now. I feel more confident because [my friends] have supported me, and [I’ve known them since] I moved here,” Zielinska said.

As she becomes more familiar with life in the U.S., language remains Zielinska’s most impactful barrier in the United States. 

“Here, because of the language, I can’t show my real me. I feel like I’m kind of fake. Not [intentionally, but] I feel like can’t actually express what I mean [completely in English]. So I’m much funnier in Polish, but I’m trying to show my [actual self] and what I think.I’m trying to win myself even in English because of the word difference. Like, you don’t have [as] many words as we [do] in Polish.  When I’m saying something, it [often doesn’t match what I actually think, [and am trying to say],” Zielinska said.

In addition to the change in education in the U.S., another major transition for Zielinska was the underwhelming American food.  She misses the incredible Polish food and the community that came with it.

“Food [is what I miss most about Poland]. I miss pierogi so much. I miss, like, Polish, good soup [and] big dinner with family. On Sundays, we did big dinners with my family because we lived really close to each other, and it was so fun. And it was typical Polish food. And here in [the] U.S., [the] food is really not good. It’s not good, I promise,” Zielinska said.

Though the move resulted in many changes and struggles for Zielinska, she is ultimately happy that everything worked out the way it did.

“It’s so much easier here. I have new friends. I have [a] new life. It’s better here, that’s what. Yeah, it’s better, definitely,” Zielinska said.

Moving from Poland changed Zielinska’s view of the future past her current life in America.

“I don’t want to plan my life because I don’t know what will happen next. [anything] can happen. I [could] be in Japan [next], for example, you never know,” Zielinska said.

Though it’s unknown where Zielinska will end up, she leaves us with some advice for welcoming anyone from a different country.

“Say hi, definitely introduce yourself. When I went to class, nobody was talking with me at first. Don’t try to make me impress[ed] just because I’m new. Just be friendly and be yourself,” Zielinska said.