“The day I got to Brazil I felt really sad, just for the reason that I had just returned from a ski trip in Uruguay with some of my childhood friends–which was one of my favorite experiences I’ve ever had–and I was used to being with my friends and wasn’t ready to leave them again. When I got to the hotel, I got sadder, because I wasn’t ready to leave my friends again, and I wanted to go back. What really helped me was traveling with my family a few weeks before school, and it made me feel less nervous about this new experience. I remember walking into Graded with my siblings being nervous (since the school was much larger than any other school I went to), but I was ready for a fresh start and for this new experience.” – Federica Schmidt, Senior