Sixteen-year-old Ruth Ayalew brings more than just her personality to the hallways of FHN. She also brings with her an Ethiopian culture that most aren’t acquainted with but one that she will cherish forever.

“It was just my mom and I,” Ruth said. “My grandmother had gotten sick, and we were going to Ethiopia to take care of her and get her back well. Unfortunately, she passed away. Meanwhile, my grandmother had a business that had been up for more than 30 years, so my mother decided that we stay so she could take it over. Also, being that I was the youngest, my mother knew I would need her growing up. It was easy because I wasn’t yet in school.”

Ruth was just 5-years-old when she found out that she would be moving to Ethiopia.

“I remember being really excited,” Ruth said. “I left to go to Ethiopia in October 2005. I was the youngest of my siblings, so my parents would always listen to me. My siblings would tell me to tell my mom that I wanted them to come in hopes that they would be able to come, too.”

Spending a total of nine years living in Ethiopia, Ruth saw and experienced many different things. Nothing was really the same for her as compared to now living here in America.

“Ethiopia is very liberal, and there’s lots of freedom,” Ruth said. “The people are amazing, and everyone is treated like family. It’s crazy how much the people actually care. The food is good as well which is another thing that I love.” 

Ruth’s everyday life was also a bit different in a few ways. Being that her mom was a business owner, she had the power of deciding when she wanted to go into work. Ruth also attended a Catholic, all girls school, by the name of Nazareth.

“I was the only child, so I got a lot of attention and I was very spoiled,” Ruth said. “At home, we had a maid so I didn’t have much to focus on but school.” 

Ruth left Ethiopia to come back to America at the age of 14. A plane ride by herself wasn’t something that she was used to, but there was no backing out if she wanted to get back home. The flight from Ethiopia to Dubai was six hours. Dubai’s airport was rather large, so it was a little bit scary for Ruth. She stayed at the airport until her 16 hour flight to Dallas, Texas took off. She met her sister there.

“My sisters suggested to me that I come back to America and start high school so that things would be easier with college and other things, as well, which is what I did,” Ruth said. 

Since coming back from Ethiopia, Ruth has had to reacquaint herself with American living.

“When I came back, I had many responsibilities that were new to me,” Ruth said. “Being that I was an only child in Ethiopia, coming back and having to take care of my little brother was a drastic change for me.”

She was changed and influenced by Ethiopia in many ways after living there for so long.

“America has made her stronger, because while in Ethiopia, she was used to nicer people versus being here in America. She wasn’t prepared for some of the rudeness that she encountered,” Naomi Seifu, Ruth’s cousin, said. “She was definitely a softy when she first came back.”