How would you feel if your world was flipped upside down? Would it matter to you that you had to leave your familiar life behind in the beautiful country of Ecuador and come to an Island where unfamiliar words are all you hear?

Coping with those questions has become a reality for Kelly Franco who is currently in Grade 11 at Mount Saint Agnes Academy.

Kelly began her journey from Ecuador to become a student at Mount Saint Agnes in January 2008.

She was quiet and uncertain of what to expect, but with a brave heart she felt she could conquer anything.

Kelly received the news from her mother, who resided in Bermuda with her husband, that in January Kelly would move to Bermuda to be closer to her. Mixed emotions were all she felt at the time. Leaving her family and friends was a battle she was not prepared to face.

Not only did the distance from her loved ones make the transition to Bermuda a difficult one, but also leaving behind the culture she knew and trying to adapt her to a new way of life took a lot of getting used too.

The climate was a major difference for Kelly.

Back home the weather was an easy mixture of hot and cold, and here all she felt was worn out and tired by the sticky humidity that didn't seem to change.

If that wasn't hard enough, imagine the anxiety and awkward feelings running through her mind as she entered the world of high school in the unfamiliar place she was forced to call home.

Making friends felt like an extremely hard task.

Back home she was used to a united class that was always together and participated in all activities as a group of friends. Here in Bermuda one of the first things Kelly seemed to notice was the separation mainly between races.

Considering that Kelly's English was still a work in progress, she found it difficult to understand what others were saying to her, either because of the Bermudian accent or the speed with which they were talking.

Kelly admitted, 'My first year in grade nine was extremely hard. I felt out of place and at times not welcomed.'

The following year she felt as if she had been blessed with an angel.

A young girl who was going through the same experience as Kelly came into her class from Canada.

She also had left behind a way of life she had grown accustomed to. Jessica Benevides and Kelly met, and instantly, as Kelly described, felt a strong connection.

The two of them became best friends and had a strong understanding of each other and the way they were feeling.

This helped the two of them adapt better, and gradually Kelly began to feel at home because she had a sense of peace in the new world around her.

Today, even though Jessica is now back in Canada, Kelly has found her place on the Island. She feels that she has gained a greater acceptance and understanding from her peers.

Of course, coming to understand the language better and communicate with greater ease has been a large part of Kelly's assimilation into her Bermudian way of life.

Although she longs for her family and friends and the spirit of fun which were so much a part of her Ecuadorean way of life, Kelly feels that she has been able to carve out another niche for herself that is equally satisfying.

While moving here at the age of 14 was a major change, Kelly now sees how she has grown as a person and benefited from all those people and things that have helped to make her the 'Island girl' that she has become.