My parents took a big risk when they moved their newborn twins from Manhattan to a small town in central Mexico. Yet, I couldn’t be more grateful that they did. 

My family came to San Miguel de Allende when I was six months old, and I lived there until I was 15. And although we love San Miguel, my parents thought it best to send me back to the United States for high school. Having mastered the arts of reading, writing and calculating in Mexican schools, I think it’s safe to say that I learned to be a student there.

I attended SMA-based Academia Internacional from preschool through third grade. Their school emphasizes diversity and individuality, with a multicultural student body comprising both Mexican and American students. At Academia, I met my best friends and made my favorite childhood memories. I began studying French in the third grade, took advanced English classes through the Cambridge program at school, performed dance shows at the local theater and, most importantly, became queen of the monkey bars.

In fourth grade, I transferred to Colegio Newland, another bilingual and diverse school that emphasizes leadership and hands-on learning. The school follows an innovative curriculum that integrates technology into the classroom, with much of our learning centered around a platform called Knotion. At Newland, I was the middle school student body president, competed in spelling bees, traveled to geography competitions in other cities and even created a haircare brand for my entrepreneurship class. I also played tennis and took piano lessons outside of school.

As I reflect on my schooling, I realize many people assume the Mexican education system is mediocre or easy. But in reality, it challenged me while providing a foundation I needed to comfortably transition to a U.S. high school. I recall my middle school teachers constantly assigning pop quizzes, and to make matters worse, they would hand back our tests from lowest grade to highest — yikes. I struggled a lot in the subject of history, and after failing an exam, I spent weeks studying to improve my grade, only to discover that the content was fascinating. Thanks to Newland, I found a passion for it.

My parents loved raising my brother and me in San Miguel and considered it the perfect place for young children. However, they believed it made sense for us to return to the United States for high school. And like many parents, mine worried about the transition and whether I was academically prepared for a more “rigorous” school. Nevertheless, they were confident my brother and I would be okay because of the values we grew up learning. In San Miguel, people respect each other, always offer help and love to joke around. My brother and I were raised with those same values. And because of them, we adapted and made friends quickly.

I started by studying for the SSAT, the entrance exam required by most private high schools in the U.S., and it was rough. In Mexico, standardized tests barely exist, so I was unfamiliar with the idea of them. Additionally, I had never taken an exam in English, making it difficult to understand academic vocabulary. However, being fluent in Spanish often helped me identify the meaning of words with Latin roots. And ironically, my Mexican upbringing was the strongest part of my application as I drew on my childhood experiences in my essays. I wrote about Christmas, listening to mariachis and visiting Oaxaca.

After a long admissions process, I enrolled in a small boarding school in northern California. At first, the Spanish-to-English transition was difficult. My first year, I remember getting a 60% on a physics exam and feeling completely defeated. But seeing my international friends excel after going through the same transition motivated me to keep trying my best. 

It’s crazy to think that I moved away from home at just 15. My parents still live in Mexico while I’m at school thousands of miles away. Of course I was scared to be on my own, but growing up between two cultures has made adapting to a new environment much easier, and California has quickly become my second home.

Throughout the two years that I’ve studied in the U.S., I’ve learned so much. My love for history persists and I have even grown to like math! (sort of). I found that attending Spanish-speaking schools didn’t hold me back, but rather, it is one of the most fascinating parts of who I am. 

Now, I am going into my senior year, in which I will be editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and a prefect in the dorms. I continue to challenge myself academically with Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses, and can’t wait to have as much fun as possible with my friends.

As the college application process begins, I continue to write about my Mexican upbringing in every essay. I couldn’t be more grateful to have grown up and studied in such a beautiful place. I truly believe that I wouldn’t be as outgoing, determined or academically accomplished had my parents chosen to raise me in Manhattan instead.

Zella Golden grew up in San Miguel de Allende and is a senior in high school in Marin, California. Golden is completing an internship with MND.