Moving to a new high school is scary for anyone, but imagine moving halfway across the world and starting over in a new country with completely different culture Two years ago, senior Anastasia Cazacu moved from Kishinev, Moldova, for her dad’s job.

“Moving to America radically changed my ideas about life,” Cazacu said.

The opportunity for a wider education was a large factor in the Cazacus’ decision to move to the United States.

“Students are in the same class for twelve years. You have the same students in every class, every day for twelve years,” Cazacu said. “We couldn’t choose our classes and make our own schedule, we just had the required classes.”

Cazacu said she finds the cultural differences between Moldova and the United States particularly enjoyable.
“I observed that here in America, people always smile and always apologize if they accidentally pushed somebody in the store,” she said. “If you smile at a Moldovan, he will think you are crazy. If you accidentally push somebody, they will push you back harder.”

Cazacu said another major difference is the focus on material goods rather than intelligence.

“Here in America, people don’t really care how you look. They greet you based on your intelligence,” Cazacu said.  “In Moldova, it would be a shame to go to school or the store in just shorts, a simple t-shirt and flip flops. People will point their fingers and talk behind your back about how you look.”

Cazacu participates in the Dance Team, and outside of school she works at Edible Arrangements. After high school, she plans to go into the Air National Guard and then go onto college and pursue a degree in international business.