Alicja Loszyn, a Jupiter High senior, moved over 5,000 miles from Poland to Florida during the 2020-2021 school year.

Loszyn lived in Poland most her life, moving there from the U.S. when she was just 10 days old. Returning to America 16 years later was both exciting and a bit challenging for Loszyn, but she embraced her new home in Jupiter.

“It was hard for me to get used to constantly speaking English. I missed how comfortable and natural speaking Polish was,” Loszyn said. “I was very insecure about my accent and scared of saying something wrong.”

Speaking a different language created a barrier between Loszyn and her peers, but she was determined to make new friends and enhance her English-language skills.

“When I first moved here I would notice that people treated me differently, they would speak to me slowly, almost like to a child,” Loszyn said. “It used to bother me, but now I feel like my accent got better, or people got used to it so I don’t notice it anymore.” 

At first, Loszyn debated moving back to Poland, but she now enjoys her new, beach-side town and home. 

“I told myself that I was going to give it a year until I decide whether or not to move back,” Loszyn said. “It got better and better with every month, and now I really like it here.”

Although adjusting to a new language was challenging, moving from Poland to the U.S. was advantageous for Loszyn.

“It’s fun being in public and being able to speak Polish with my parents,” Loszyn said.

Attending a new school with over 3,000 students was an unfamiliar experience for Loszyn, as her former school was much, much smaller.

“I was used to having all my classes in the same classroom with the same group of 25 kids,” Loszyn said. “My first day was, for sure, very scary. Compared to my school in Poland, Jupiter is huge.”

A member of Jupiter High’s varsity cheer team, Loszyn is currently focusing on both school and cheerleading.

“I absolutely love [cheering],” Loszyn said. “I met amazing girls and coaches, everyone is so supportive and hard-working.” 

Loszyn is a strong not only strong academically but also athletically. Cheer coach Kimberley Beine is one of Loszyn’s biggest fans. 

 “She is excited to learn and works extremely hard to perfect her skills,” Beine said. 

Beine is hopeful about Loszyn’s aspirations for a future in medicine and cheer. 

“I can’t wait to see her become a doctor in the future,” Beine said. “I would also love to see her cheer in college. She would be a great addition to any collegiate cheerleading program.” 

Cecilia Oneid, a sophomore on the varsity cheer team, describes Loszyn as one of the most hardworking people on the team.

“Cheer isn’t an easy sport and I’ve never heard her complain about the difficulty,” Oneid said. “I’ve only seen her improving and working towards perfection.”

Loszyn had no prior experience in cheer before she moved to Fla. because there’s no cheerleading in Poland.

“I’ve been dancing competitively and doing gymnastics, so that for sure helped,” Loszyn said.

Marcy Dann, an AP chemistry teacher at Jupiter High, has had Loszyn in her classes for two years and admires her adaptation and strength in her class.

“She started [at] Jupiter High brand new to the country during a hybrid year,” Dann said. “During that year, she took difficult classes, made friends and became a cheerleader.” 

Dann has seen major growth in her in the last year and a half.

“She is now taking more complicated classes and doing well in them,” Dann said. “She is able to manage her time and a difficult school load with ease.” 

Loszyn plans to study to become a dermatologist and plans on staying in America after high school.

“I love [Poland] and that’s where my whole family is, but I can’t see myself moving back. There are more possibilities here,” Loszyn said.