Abruptly approached at the end of another seemingly normal school year in the CNG Ann, Dominique, and Anthony Pearl found out that they were being moved to Medellin and to get thrown into the middle of The Columbus School’s school year, while abandoning all their lives along with leaving their family and friends behind in Bogota. In the 21st century, it is very common for families to get relocated because of the globalization trend, and as an international school TCS receives those who migrate to paisa grounds and wish to attend the school. The triplets, victims of the now-famous phenomenon share some of the experience.

As allied schools, CNG in Bogota recommended TCS as the best choice for the triplets’ new school in order for them not to be completely alienated of the curriculum and functioning of the institute. TCS offers almost the same courses, grading system, and campus installations like CNG making getting in a priority for their parents. Because of its known grounds, it’s very common for students coming from associated schools to end up being part of the TCS’s student body.

New TCS Culture

Other than the triplets, TCS has received various new students from affiliated schools, not only from CNG but also from the Albania School in La Guajira department, Sofia Barros, the superintendent’s daughter, arrived to TCS in 10th grade along with her distinctive accent to provide a whole new personality to the student community.

However, it wasn’t all good for Sofia when told that she was going to move to another city.

“I was nervous because Medellin was a whole new city. I’ve always lived along the different cities part of the coastline of Colombia, where people being different still are similar in some way. I knew that coming here meant learning from a whole new community,” Barros said.

Sofia rapidly became one perfect example of students that fit right in with the grade and the way the school worked. It was very obvious for everyone that Sofia came to graduate with the class, that she was not leaving again, therefore, the school welcomed her and embraced her personality.

“I have a great group of friends that I love. Sure I miss the other places I have lived in, because they have people that I grew up with and all, but The Columbus School has been great to me and my family and I’m thankful for that,” Barros said.

The Leaving and Coming Back

Sofie Piedrahita, a very artistic student, left TCS to go follow her dream of studying six months in a boarding school specialized in the arts. Idyllwild Arts Academy provided everything Piedrahita was looking for, but with the thrill of leaving, Sofia failed to remember everything she was giving up.

“When I got there, and sat on my dorm bed, I looked at the ceiling and thought ‘what am I doing here?’ I thought about how my family was here in Colombia and I wasn’t,” Piedrahita said, “It was hard being apart from everyone for so long.”

Feeling unique about having the opportunity to live in LA for six months to what she beloved, missing her loved ones was hard but became easier through time. After all the nostalgia, Sofia had a blast living in Los Angeles with her guy best friend. At the end, wanting to come back to Colombia she quickly realized that not everyone had that opportunity and cherished every moment she had there.

“At the end, I wanted to come back, but only because I missed my people not because I wasn’t having fun or because I didn’t like it there,” Piedrahita said. “Coming back was fun, but now that I’m here, sometimes I would like to go back to LA. It was an amazing experience but now I love both places and would like to live in both places.”

Leave Again…?

Some students fit in and fall in love with the school and all the people that are part of it. Juan Manuel Jaramillo, was a clear example of the opposite, as he, being a student until 7th grade, had to leave upon his mother’s wishes to live in Ecuador. A period of time later, relocated again to Miami, Juan met a lot of people different to the TCS recognized prototype, therefore, when he came back in 10th grade, he no longer felt Medellin was his home and TCS was his school.

Sharing his experience coming back, Juan Manuel shared how he no longer felt part of the school he once had known and loved.

“I thought that coming back was going to be easy because I thought that I was the same person I left, the thing is that I forgot that the years had passed and of course I was now a different person. I grew up, they grew up…” Jaramillo said.

“TCS’s environment is an incredible one, but it’s not for everyone. As a new kid, you can either love it or hate it, I feel like there is no in between. I like Miami better but I miss TCS a lot as well, people are amazing but it didn’t feel like my school anymore,” Jaramillo said, “I visit as much as I can because after all, I once made part of it and loved it.”