At Ferris High School, a diverse group of students gather each day in Mrs. Webb’s classroom. These are not just any students; they are the ESL students, coming from different corners of the globe, each with their own unique stories, background and culture.

Among them are Mohammed Timoor Shah from Afghanistan and Kseniia Poltavska from Ukraine.

Despite their differences in language and culture, Shah and Poltavska share a common goal – to master the English language and create a brighter future in the United States.

For Poltavska, the USA education system is the best education system.   “One thing I like about American culture is [the] education system because it’s more accessible than Ukraine,” said Poltavska.

As for Shah, he likes the Ferris campus. “My favorite part about Ferris is the school campus because it has a bigger campus than I attended last year,” said Shah.

Both share common and different goals. Their common goal is to finish ESL and go to a regular English class.

For Poltavska, she wants to do running to start her junior year and study psychology. “I like talking to people and helping  [with] their problem, it’s just brought me joy to help people,” said Poltavska.

On the other hand, Shah wants to join the military. “When I was born in Afghanistan, I saw people was suffering and lost their home because of the war. So, I just want to help people who are suffering by war in the world or [from] other disasters,” said Shah.