MORAN — Eleanora “Ellie” Melani came to America with a “soft landing.”
She traveled from her home in Florence, Italy, to New York, earlier this month where she met with a group of about 20 other international students who are studying abroad. They came from across the world including France, Spain, Sweden and Germany.
She quickly made friends with her roommates, girls from Germany and Sweden.
They toured New York, getting to know each other as well as a new language and culture. Ellie felt safe in the reassurance that she could reach out to her new friends whenever she needed to talk to someone who understands what it’s like to travel to a new country and a new school.
The students then left for various places throughout the United States.
For Ellie, that place is Moran. She’s living with Jay and Sara Jackman, and attending Marmaton Valley High School as a senior.
She is one of three international students attending MVHS this year.
Another is Maria Martin-Forero of Madrid, Spain. Her arrival in the U.S. was a bit more abrupt.
First, she spent 13 hours traveling in an airplane, which she described as “the worst flight.” By the time she landed, she had missed her connecting flight to Kansas City. On the receiving end, her host family, Jennifer and Mike Jackman, waited an extra two and a half hours at the airport.
By that point, Maria was so tired she fell asleep in the car on the drive to Moran. She doesn’t have any concept of the distance between the airport and her new home, or what the countryside looks like between them. By the time she woke up, she was at the Jackman’s rural home.
“After that, everything was perfect,” Maria said. She will be a junior at MVHS.
Also arriving at Moran was Emilio Peon Retana from Mexico, who is staying with Dustin and Colette Dahmer. He arrived on Monday and got his first look at the school during an orientation on Tuesday evening before classes began Thursday. At age 15, he will be a sophomore.
A FEW weeks before they left their home countries, Ellie and Maria found out their host families were related. Jay and Mike Jackman are cousins.
The girls were able to connect with each other ahead of their arrival. They sent each other messages and began to form a friendship.
Neither knew much about Kansas. They each visited the district’s website to learn about the school.
