Recently I interviewed several students from different countries.  I wanted to hear their opinions and experiences to see how their previous schools are different from those in the United States. Some of these students studied in schools where materials and resources were scarce. That’s why they decided to come to the United States to have more opportunities that they didn’t have in their former schools. To learn more I interviewed student Carlos Ortiz Gomez (grade 11) who is a student who studied in the Dominican Republic and in the United States. This led me to interview him since I wanted to understand his experience.

Where did you study in the Dominican Republic? 

“ At the Eugenio María de Hostos school”

How many years did you study in the Dominican Republic?

“ Around 14 years.”

How was the curriculum in the Dominican Republic when you were studying for those thirteen years?

“ I remember that there weren’t any sufficient resources for materials. So we would stay in one class and the teachers would come to us and they would bring their materials and we would start studying.”

How many hours did you guys study in one class? 

“ We would not move from the class. We only lasted one hour in the same class from around 7:30 to 12:00 p.m. for the rest of the school day since every class was around an hour.”

In what grade were you in when you studied in the Dominican Republic?

“I was in the 8th or 9th grade when I was in the Dominican Republic getting educated.”

How did you feel studying in the Dominican Republic?

I felt comfortable because I would stay on task the same way I am doing now and do my homework. I was applied over there the same way I am here in the U.S. Everything the same.

Did you feel as if you had support?

My parents because they made me grow up and understand how to take care of my priorities on my own in the future.”