Credit to Faith Smith

Ayah Ramadan is a current junior at FHN who moved from Jordan in the 2021-2022 school year. She still has ties to her culture at home such as, food and language. Before moving to Jordan she lived briefly in the US.

The 15 hours and 6,435 miles from Amman, Jordan, to St. Louis, Missouri was more than just a simple flight. It was a cultural transition. Two years ago, Junior Ayah Ramadan and her family moved from the Middle Eastern country, leaving behind their family and lifestyle.

“I used to live in Chicago,” Ayah said. “I lived there for about four or five years and then went to Jordan. I recently came back here to the U.S. the summer before my freshman year, so about two years ago.”

Even after living in the United States prior to moving to Jordan, Ayah still faced many challenges when returning. 

“School was a big culture shock because the school culture over there and school culture over here is very different,” Ayah said. “Over there, it’s just memorizing everything. Over here, you actually get to do stuff with your hands. Here, I got to dissect a heart and a brain and an eye. I would have never had the opportunity over there for that [type of] education.”

Moving wasn’t just an adjustment for Ayah. Her cousin, Senior Yazan Ramadan especially felt the effects of the different languages. 

“The toughest part was definitely the language barrier and getting used to it.” Yazan said. 

Despite leaving the country, Ayah’s family continues to bring ties from Jordan to the United States. With the help of local Arab shops, her family is able to enjoy various dishes and cultural items that are normally found in Jordan.

“Everyone should definitely go see the culture and visit downtown [in Jordan], it’s going to  definitely be a huge shock,” Ayah said. “It also has one of the Seven Wonders of the World.”