Moving to a different place is always new and different, especially moving from one country to another at the young age of 16. That’s what FCHS Senior Leonardo Ceja did four years ago when he left his old life behind and moved to the United States of America. Ceja, who is from Mexico City, came to this country with great ambitions and hope.

Coming to America was like starting a new chapter in his life. “To be honest, I talked to my brother, Manuel, about moving because his kids and I would get a much better education over here and make a better living,” said Ceja.

When you move to a different country, especially one as diverse as America, it can be hard and different, especially learning a new language and making friends. “Making friends isn’t one of my weaknesses, but not knowing English made me change my mind about that,” said Ceja. “At first, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be because I went Albemarle High School first, and there are a lot of Hispanics there. But when I moved to Fluvanna, that’s when I started having a little trouble because there are barely any Hispanics here. For some reason, people talked to me. I guess it was because they thought I was a foreigner, and for that I’m grateful, because without my friends in Fluvanna I would’ve never become fluent in English,” said Ceja.

Compared to Mexico, life in the United States can be very different, he says. “In Mexico you have to pay for education, and here you don’t, which is amazing. Another thing is that you don’t have to be worried about being mugged or robbed when you go out to town here, whereas in Mexico, you would normally have to take a few friends with you or have to be constantly watching over your shoulder,” said Ceja.

He admits that he was robbed on three occasions in Mexico. He had been walking down the street when two men who cornered him pulled out a weapon. “They told me to give them my phone if I did not want to be stabbed, so I did,” he said. He followed after in hopes of getting his phone back, but the men scared him off.

Ceja admits that there is one thing he dislikes about the US. If you want to go out and hang out with some friends you need a car or some form or transportation to get around. In Mexico, he says, all you need is your two feet and the will to walk. “All the stores and malls were within a few miles or less, so no one really minded walking, which made the idea of cars obsolete,” said Ceja.

For Ceja, living the life he lives here was only a dream back in Mexico. “I met my girlfriend and I got a car I could only dream of having, and here, I can make a living for my family and enjoy myself,” he said. “The only reason I would go back is to see my parents and my brother and his wife. When I left, my nephews were very young and they don’t remember me, so I would like to get to know them.”