Imagine you’re heading into a new school, a new country and a new environment. Everyone is speaking a different language than what you have heard before. Your family isn’t with you and you are all alone. You don’t know where your classes are and you don’t have any friends to help you. Sounds scary, right? That’s what student Leonora Kojku had to go through on the first day of school last year coming from Athens, Greece.

“I thought it was the worst day of my life,” Kojku said. “I was super overwhelmed and was trying to process that I had to start over and live in a new environment by myself. It was terrible. I couldn’t find my classes, I was crying, walking in the hallway until third hour where I met my first friend, Katie Hamilton. I immediately felt comfortable that I found someone to be friends with.”

Kojku was born in the United States but grew up in Greece. She said she wanted to move to America for the education system as she said the main part of moving was to have a better education for her studies.

“America is a country of opportunities where you can make your dreams come true and that’s what inspired me to come,” Kojku said. “Also, if you put the (Greek and American) educations next to each other, education in America is a hundred times better.“

Coming from another country can be scary and very different in the languages that someone could be used to. Kojku is trilingual and speaks Albanian, Greek, and English. She also said she knows some Turkish and is taking German right now. Kojku’s tutorial teacher Laura Distelrath said she has been helping Kojku this year and that she feels compassion for Kojku’s situation.

“She is incredibly kind and determined; she is one of the most respectful students I have taught,” Distelrath said. “She constantly carries herself with grace and a strong moral character, even when she is facing challenges that other students don’t. I can’t imagine going to a high school in a different country that speaks a different language, and she maintains a positive attitude and is a hard worker.”

Kojku said she came here solely to have a better education so she can secure a better future for herself and make her family proud. Kokju is the first person in her family to go to university in the United States.

“I was impressed hearing her talk about the future and the choices she is making now to provide a positive future for herself and her family, so the fact that she’s making decisions to positively impact her family’s future as well is so inspiring,” Distelrath said.

Coming from Greece, Kojku stated what she misses most about Greece is her family. She works very hard to get good grades to get into a good college. Meryn Vick ’24 met Kojku last September and said they have been inseparable ever since.

“Leonora is independent in her work and doesn’t rely on others to provide her with solutions; however, she is not too prideful to ask for help when stuck, which I find more inspirational.” Vick said. “In a competitive environment like school, admitting you don’t know something is very difficult, but Leonora takes that in stride, seeing every struggle as a learning opportunity.”

Kojku said she has decided which college she wants to attend and has decided to go to Wayne State University to study chemistry. Vick stated that everyone can see how much effort she puts into assignments and no matter the situation she never gives up, which influences others not to give up either.

“Her optimistic outlook and positive attitude have others, such as myself, striving for the same level of commitment as her,” Vick said “She is such a wonderful, kind and fearless individual, and I’m excited to see what she does in the future, because someone that hardworking will do amazing things in life.”