When Arianna Vernon moved to the United States from Jamaica when she has 12 years old, she had never seen snow.
“The first time I had seen snow was really weird,’’ she said. “I was 12 and all I wanted to do was play, and now I hate it.”
Vernon had gone to a private school in Jamaica, and before she moved to Hartford, she had lived in Brooklyn, NY for two years. She now attends the Journalism and Media Academy at Weaver High School and lives with her cousin, Nyandah Robinson.
Vernon, 16, is going to be a junior, plays volleyball at school and has received many honors, including making the honor roll numerous times.
She explained how Hartford is different from Jamaica.
“The weather was way more hot, and the people were more nice there,’’ she said. “The atmosphere was better most of the time, and the biggest difference was the food. The food is amazing and harder to cook.”
She said she misses Jamaica but likes her life and friends in Hartford. Her favorite class was Media and Technology because she said learning more about computers was interesting.
Vernon is also a sports fan, following the New York Giants, Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Yankees.
Her father, Albert Vernon, is an architect in New York. She also has one sister and two step-sisters. She said that living with her cousin can be chaotic but also is very fun and a change. Vernon said she has missed living in New York as well as with her dad. She plans another visit soon.
Vernon said she doesn’t know what she wants to do in the future. She has been through a lot in her life, and it shows a lot of courage that she is still fighting and getting good grades.
Rob McCarthy is a junior at Cazenovia High School, Cazenovia, New York.