“I think the biggest challenge was when I came here to America because it was nothing compared to any challenge I have ever faced, in my whole life. I came on August 6th, 2024. I’ve been here for 9 months. It was a huge step. I had to prepare for months. When I came here everything was all new. I’m shy and didn’t want to speak English because of my accent; it’s not my mother language. I would say the thing that helped me was being open-minded. Everyone was super nice when I first started sideline cheer. 

“I had to leave my entire family and friends, which has also impacted them. I didn’t have the social support system I normally always had, in Germany. You know, when you have a challenge to face, you could normally go to your mom or to your friends. The worst thing was when I had a problem here, and I wanted to talk with someone who could relate. But no one in my family or friends had ever done something like me. So when I would tell them, ‘Oh, it’s so weird with the language, and everything is so different here,’ they would just say, ‘Yeah, keep strong. Feel strong, you can do this.’ I felt like no one really understood me.  

“I  got used to most of the stuff, so now it’s good. Especially after you made your first friends, everything was much easier. I also think that it will help me a lot in my future life. I already overcame something so big. I read in a book once that 80% of yourself is because of your environment, and what you are surrounding yourself with. So I just really wanted to find out for myself. I wanted to see who I am when I’m not around my family and friends in Germany. 

“We learned English in school since third grade, but it’s the second language we learned. I learned English quickly because it wasn’t my second language. My family originally immigrated from Russia, so our mother language at home is Russian and I speak German with my friends. I was always one of the best in my class with English, but I would say that it’s not the same when you’re not always confronted with the language. I mean, you learn from your classes, but it’s not that you are actively speaking. So I wasn’t 100% confident, and I was so scared that people wouldn’t understand me. Eventually, it just comes naturally. Before that, I was always thinking and scared to say something wrong. I love America and am so thankful to be here,” Soph. Lisa Fromm said.