Victoria Cangemi was born in Rimini, Italy and was just two years old when she and her parents moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. She also lived in Nigeria for more than a year. Her family had moved there from Rimini, Italy when she was four months old. After living in Africa for a year and a half she moved to Cincinnati when she was two.

 

Her family lived in Cincinnati for close to a decade and moved to Cali, Colombia last year. She has family in both Italy and Colombia but feels most at home in Cincinnati. She currently speaks three languages, Italian, English, and Spanish; she also studied Latin at her prior school Walnut Hills.

 

Coming from a diverse background can be helpful in ways of building relationships with others who are different from us, however, it isn’t everything. Victoria has found difficulty making new acquaintances and feels like she’s in an unfamiliar place. She has lost touch with classmates who she used to talk to everyday and wishes to go back and visit.

 

 

She felt more welcome in Cincinnati and misses her friends there daily. Victoria copes with the transition to Colombia by spending time with her dog, playing violin, and talking to friends in Ohio. Although never in danger she has felt like a stranger in Cali and has struggled to make new friends with the reminder of her old ones on her mind. Despite the fact that she misses her friends, she has kept herself focused and on track with school and other activities that she enjoys including soccer.