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Ellie Nowakowski

SOCIALIZING. Allan Wang chats with sophomore Muriel Lang. “The study hall, I find that long period where you do your homework and finish it all, feels really good. In China, we have to finish all of our homework at home,” Wang said.

Allan Wang is a new ninth grader who lives in Savage, Minnesota with his uncle. But that has only been his reality for the past two months. Before moving to the United States, Wang was known as 王园淞 (Wang Yuansong). He lived in Liaoning, a province in Northeastern China with his parents, and attended a school that had a completely different structure and social life.

“[SPA is] totally different, like say here we change classes, but the teachers also change. In my [previous] school, teachers change, but you’re still sitting in one classroom, never [moving] for the whole day,” Wang said.

He moved to Minnesota to go to high school with the intention of receiving a U.S. college education. He has found that he has also gotten the opportunity to pursue his hobbies and interests. He enjoys track, basketball, physics and math.

“I’m in Fitness for Life and I find I like to run faster and farther, so I’m thinking I need to push myself on those,” Wang said.

He has faced some challenges since moving here.  He had to drop Spanish as a class because it was too difficult to learn a third language through his second language. However, he is excelling in history class where they are currently studying about ancient China.

“I already know when the teacher is talking about China. I’m pretty sure that I know [a lot] about Legalism, Daoism, [and] Confucianism. I  exactly [understand everything] when they ask about Christianity,” Wang said.

Wang looks forward to the next four years, having different experiences and making memories in his new home.