Within the course of three days, Catalina Mihailide (10) had packed her bags in Bucharest, Romania and moved to California to attend school.

Over a month ago, Catalina and her grandmother moved to the Bay Area, where they now live with her aunt and cousin.

“It was more of my decision, but my father’s and my mother’s [as well], who wanted me to go to college over here,” she said.

Her primary motivation to move to America was to have a chance to study at a medical school here.

“Well, in my family for the past four generations, there have been doctors, and I wish to study medicine [in Stanford if possible],” Catalina said. “And, I thought it would be better to do it in United States taking into consideration the high level of medical schools that are here.”

To pursue her interest in the medical field, Catalina volunteered at a hospital in Romania.

“I’ve been working in a hospital, to convince myself I’m able to become a doctor, and that I’m not going to be scared getting into an operating room or something,” she said.

Also, Catalina worked for a Romanian foundation that helps handicapped children, called the Foundation of Aiding Handicapped Children.

“[Working for the foundation] was in a sense sad to see, but it was also really pleasant when you could help them, and we organized all these programs for them, games, and ways of learning, and raised funds for them, which was really nice,” she said.

Now in America, Catalina plans to continue her community service, specifically by volunteering in other hospitals.

“I wish to volunteer, and I also have a friend in Stanford who offered [for] me to work with him. He is kind of into the medical school, so I wish to do it over the summer,” she said.

Besides her interest in the sciences, Catalina enjoys swimming. She was a member on the swim team at her school in Romania for three and a half years.

Catalina also finds interest in journalism. She was editor in chief of her school’s newspaper for two years, and editor in chief of the yearbook for one year.

“I did quite a few interviews before I became our chief editor. I really loved it,” she said.

For Catalina, the biggest challenge of moving to America is adjusting to the culture. Three days after she moved to America, Catalina started school, which was a “quick move,” she said.

However, Catalina has been able to adjust to her new home because she had visited America many times in the past.

“I’ve been here quite a few times, and also having part of my family like my aunt over here, it was not that difficult,” she said. “I also have some friends over here, but being away from my friends, being away from my country, it’s still pretty hard.”