Upon entering her junior year, Victoria Chiaburu visited Colmar, France—partaking in the short exchange trip through the French program at Forest Hills Central—both she and her Strasbourg-native host family fell victim to the formidable force of tourism stereotypes.
“Every place is so different,” said Victoria. “Exploring Colmar in France with my host and her friend was really fun. It was their first time visiting Colmar, too, so they were joking about how they looked like the American tourists in Strasbourg.”
Making routine trips abroad since she was a little girl, Victoria has been on a plethora of excursions throughout Europe over the years, each one not only cementing her love for travel but furthering her engrossment with all there is to offer outside of the borders of her home country. From observing the charming, quaint lives of her host family in Strasbourg, visiting family spread across Europe, and beholding the picturesque beauty of the Italian Riviera at Manarola, her perspective on life has been molded by immersing herself in foreign lands and customs.
“I really enjoy seeing such beautiful places, but my favorite part is experiencing the culture of other countries,” Victoria said. “Manarola helped me to truly appreciate the beauty of simpler living, and it made me reflect on what I wanted to prioritize for myself in my future. I didn’t really think about the possibility of moving abroad, but now I think it would be really fun at least for a year or two. Other countries’ ways of living are so different when it comes to transportation, gastronomy, and culture. It would be really cool to experience that for a more extended period of time.”
Although she felt like an outsider towards the advent of her adventure abroad, being plunged headfirst into a country of unfamiliar norms helped Victoria leverage her ability to expand her horizons. In Colmar, she took the opportunity to take a more extroverted approach to her travels, abandoning her fear of feeling unwelcome and integrating herself into the new societal values around her. By pushing her limits, Victoria has gained global exposure that has served as a catalyst for her trans-cultural immersion.
“I loved Colmar because it taught me that it can be really simple to connect with others despite cultural differences,” Victoria said. “It’s really cliché, but ‘fake it ’til you make it’ makes it a lot easier to connect with others. I’m kind of a shy person, so the first couple of days in Strasbourg I wasn’t really myself because I was alone in a new country surrounded by people who all knew each other. I realized I had to be more outgoing because I seemed really boring.”
Victoria’s open-mindedness while diving into new and sometimes intimidating regions greatly stems from her own family’s ties to Europe, where both of her parents grew up. By seeing the impact and importance of broadening her lens on the world through her mother and father, she is able to harness her own lineage to deepen her cultural awareness and knowledge.
“My mom is from Russia and was an exchange student here at FHC when she was in high school, and my dad is from Romania and then lived in Athens for a few months before coming to the United States,” Victoria said. “We also have family and family friends spread throughout Europe, so we make trips out of visiting them. My parents have really helped fuel my interest in traveling because obviously they finance it, but they’re also both from other countries so I think it expands my worldview a bit.”
When she is not traveling, Victoria remains ambitious to navigate new forms of cultural diversity. Through her church and their summer camp, she has participated in Greek dancing since she was around 4 years old, venturing into new realms of experience and tradition that help her transcend global limitations and allow her to absorb the cultural fabric of new places.
“I go to a Greek Orthodox church where we hold a Greek cultural festival in the summer called Yassou,” Victoria said. “We do Greek dancing for the festival because it helps provide more entertainment and spreads Greek culture to people who wouldn’t otherwise come across it. It’s always my favorite part because the energy is contagious and the dance that goes with it is really fun.”
Although she is not ethnically Greek, Victoria has approached this once uncharted livelihood with the same attitude she approaches all of her other travels: finding common ground and welcoming unaccustomed discoveries with open arms. Recognizing parallels between Greek culture and her own family ties, she has been able to enhance her involvement in her own identity by elevating her expertise in the identity of others.
“I enjoy sharing different cultures with the people in my community,” Victoria said. “I’m Romanian and Russian, and both of those cultures are underrepresented, so it’s really cool to see Greek culture have an impact on others. I’ve learned the importance in culture of bringing people together. Even though I’m not Greek, I’ve met a lot of different people through Greek dancing and various other events through my church. Since my parents are both from other countries, I’ve experienced a lot of different traditions and ways of life, so it’s cool to be able to relate to others in that way since there aren’t that many people who can relate.”
Not only does Victoria find immense passion in cross-cultural studies and anthropology, but she is also fervently dedicated to her education, taking every opportunity to absorb as much knowledge as she can. While balancing Advanced Placement courses on top of athletics and strenuous dual enrollment commitments has not been easy, Victoria has been able to use such daunting challenges to her advantage and adopt enhanced time management skills that help her succeed in the demands of her everyday life.
“My schedule is really challenging, so it’s difficult to manage the workload sometimes,” Victoria said. “Running between the two campuses and making sure I get to my classes on time can be a bit of a struggle. I’ve also been traveling farther for soccer this year, so overall I have to manage my time a lot more than past years.”
As she approaches her senior year, Victoria is excited to continue this commitment onward. With the prospect of college lingering ahead, she is hopeful that her involvement in the arduous demands of advanced curriculum will strengthen her stance in the applicant pool. While she acknowledges the downsides of being away for a considerable portion of the school day, she takes great enthusiasm in learning and is eager to further her understanding of more nuanced topics.
“Next year, if all goes as planned, I’ll be taking 3 dual enrollment courses per semester, along with one online class,” Victoria said. “It’s pretty exciting to be able to take classes that are a bit more focused rather than general, like most high school classes. I’m just hoping all of my college applications go well. It’s a bit unfortunate to be away from everyone at the high school, but I’m glad I can take courses that will give me more experience in what I’m interested in.”
By weaving together her deep-rooted cultural connections, academic pursuits, and a willingness to step into new territories, Victoria has cultivated a profound comprehension of the world around her. With each journey and every experience, she not only broadens her perspective but also quietly encourages others to consider the beauty in the diverse ways of life that exist beyond their familiar boundaries. Motivated by her own wisdom on stepping into change and unfamiliarity, she is reminded every day to embrace discomfort.
“It’s important to push yourself outside of your comfort zone,” Victoria said. “It usually ends up being for the best.”
