Dressed in the usual Paly green cap and gown, Julie Zhu fiddles with the tassel that hangs from her hat. She takes a deep breath taking in the warm air that smells like flowers in full bloom, a sure sign that summer is just around the corner.
In a scene similar to this one Zhu will become the first person in her family to graduate from an American high school in June 2007.

Zhu was born on Jan. 29, 1989, in Beijing. She lived in Beijing until the age of three, when she moved to America. Zhu, now 15, is the only person in her family to grow-up outside of her native country.

Zhu remembers very little about living in China, the only things that she can recall is the fact that her family lived in apartment. She also remembers the rain and cold that occurred in the winter months.

Her parents decided that a move to the United States would be in Zhu’s best interest. They believed that because of the Communist government, which still exists today, China was not the best place to raise a child. In addition, America would also allow for a wider variety of opportunities for both them and their daughter. Zhu’s father, Wenxian Zhu quit his job as a professor, and moved his family to Idaho for a better life in America.

Zhu’s first impression of the United States was that it was very green. She was also surprised by how spread out it was and how few people seemed to live in America.

In Idaho, Zhu attended her first American school. "I didn’t speak any English on my first day of kindergarten" Zhu said. "It was really scary." Zhu learned fast. By the end of kindergarten she was able to speak English to her peers and teacher.

Zhu continued to live in Idaho until second grade, when she moved to Ukiah, Calif. Now accustomed to moving, Zhu wanted something new and different, so the move to California did not come as a large disappointment to her. She continued her elementary school education in Ukiah. At the age of 11 Zhu and her family moved yet again, this time to Palo Alto, where they currently reside.

Zhu remembers with humor moving into their house in Palo Alto. "I remember we moved to our new house on Halloween, and my mom didn’t know it was Halloween, and people were knocking on our door [as we moved in]."

Zhu, an only child due to China’s One Child Policy, is her families’ only high school graduate in America; however both Zhu’s parents went to graduate school at the University of Idaho. Her father worked for a professor while getting his PhD. Zhu’s mother, Xuema Li who had been an engineer in China, received her Masters of Science. Zhu hopes to continue her education in America after she graduates at one of the UC’s. She then hopes to continue to live in America she said.

Zhu’s life would be very different had she never moved to America. "My life would revolve around school work and no extracurriculars" Zhu claims. In China children are required to take tests to get into middle and high School in addition to the tests that must be taken to enter college. Zhu said that if she were still living in China she would want to attend an American College. However without connections to an American College or and American education it would be difficult for Zhu to live that dream "I owe it to my parents to excel in school," Zhu said.