Orlando, Fla. | April – May 2019

'First Days in America'

We are finding, coaching and training public media’s next generation. This #nextgenradio project is created in Orlando Fla., where six talented student journalists are participating in a week-long state-of-the-art training program.

In this project, six immigrants talk about how their first days in America shaped their lives today.

Becoming Brave: How one mother’s leap of faith led to a life of opportunity

by KYM HAINES

Kareline Scull left communist Cuba for Florida as a teenager, fleeing a life of tight rations and few personal freedoms to chase a dream of liberation and opportunity. This is the story of her journey into womanhood and how that shaped her for motherhood.

How a reporter from New Zealand found his voice in America

by RHYAN GRANT

WMFE public radio host and reporter Matthew Peddie was raised in New Zealand. His first visit to the United States was in the early 2000s, when his girlfriend guided him through the country as a tourist. Peddie loved how Americans were so generous, compared with people back home.

Argentine immigrant lives the American dream on his own terms

by LILLIAN HERNÁNDEZ CARABALLO

Oscar Lagos came from Argentina to pursue the American dream and establish a restaurant in New York. But he found prioritizing work over family and his health left him with nothing. After a divorce, surviving cancer and several heart surgeries, Lagos changed his philosophy. He now runs an Argentine steakhouse in Orlando focusing on quality of life over quantity of money.

‘It’s already like this:’ Sexism inspires Brazilian film student to make a change

by MONICA SEALEY

Thais Cardoso de Moraes’ parents wanted her to become a lawyer or engineer. She wanted to become a filmmaker. She left Brazil to study film in Orlando, where her newfound independence helped her develop the confidence to pursue her dream. She found a lot of support at the UCF Global building, a hub for international students.

DACA student activist finds power in her immigration status

by EMILY LANG

Karen Caudillo is a DACA student at the University of Central Florida and a grassroots organizer. Growing up, her dad worked construction jobs during the week in Naples, Florida, and over the weekend, he was a DJ for quinceañeras and farmworker protests. Karen and her mom continued living in Mexico. On her fifth birthday, she reunited with her dad in the United States.

Brazilian student’s mental health journey makes her an inspiration for others

by NELLY ONTIVEROS

Mayara Martines immigrated to the United States from Brazil in 2016, which she says caused depression and anxiety. She overcame those psychological as well as economic challenges caused by her migration. And now she helps other international students at Valencia College in Orlando feel welcome in the U.S.

Finding love and fulfilling a dream: An Ethiopian man’s life after escaping war

Kareline Scull left communist Cuba for Florida as a teenager, fleeing a life of tight rations and few personal freedoms to chase a dream of liberation and opportunity. This is the story of her journey into womanhood and how that shaped her for motherhood.

by Kym Haines

How a reporter from New Zealand found his voice in America

WMFE public radio host and reporter Matthew Peddie was raised in New Zealand. His first visit to the United States was in the early 2000s, when his girlfriend guided him through the country as a tourist. Peddie loved how Americans were so generous, compared with people back home.

by Rhyan Grant

Argentine immigrant lives the American dream on his own terms

Oscar Lagos came from Argentina to pursue the American dream and establish a restaurant in New York. But he found prioritizing work over family and his health left him with nothing. After a divorce, surviving cancer and several heart surgeries, Lagos changed his philosophy. He now runs an Argentine steakhouse in Orlando focusing on quality of life over quantity of money.

by Lillian M. Hernandez Caraballo

‘It’s already like this’

Sexism inspires Brazilian film student to make a change

Thais Cardoso de Moraes’ parents wanted her to become a lawyer or engineer. She wanted to become a filmmaker. She left Brazil to study film in Orlando, where her newfound independence helped her develop the confidence to pursue her dream. She found a lot of support at the UCF Global building, a hub for international students.<

by Monica Sealey

DACA student activist finds power in her immigration status

Karen Caudillo is a DACA student at the University of Central Florida and a grassroots organizer. Growing up, her dad worked construction jobs during the week in Naples, Florida, and over the weekend, he was a DJ for quinceañeras and farmworker protests. Karen and her mom continued living in Mexico. On her fifth birthday, she reunited with her dad in the United States.

by Emily Lang

Brazilian student’s mental health journey makes her an inspiration for others

Mayara Martines immigrated to the United States from Brazil in 2016, which she says caused depression and anxiety. She overcame those psychological as well as economic challenges caused by her migration. And now she helps other international students at Valencia College in Orlando feel welcome in the U.S.

by Nelly Ontiveros