José Elisalde
José Elisalde is a grade 11 student from Mexico City, who is currently studying at Tagwi High School.

Elisalde was recently featured in the local newspaper for leading his basketball team at Tagwi High School to victory.

Below is an excerpt from the news article from the Chesterville Record by author Darren Matte.

Basketball was one of the main reasons he chose to come here and it helped Elisalde make the adjustment. “It was not that hard leaving home. I mean I miss my family, but we Skype often.”
Instantly, Elisalde noticed the differences. “I live in Mexico City, a big city, so to come to Avonmore was different, but already I really like it. I am used to big buildings and now I get to see lakes and trees. It really is amazing! I would love to stay here next year. The major adjustments I have had to make are to the climate, language and food. When I got here they said ‘this is warm’ and compared to back home it was quite cold. The language barriers worked themselves out after a few days when I got over my shyness and as for food, my parents packed me a big box to bring with me.”

Communication is something that is a major factor on a team, but Tagwi coach Rob Stein says it hasn’t hindered Elisalde’s ability to mesh with his teammates. “It is like he has been playing with these guys his whole life. He fit in well from the beginning. He understands everything in English, even though I think when he is in a game he still thinks in Spanish.”

 

You can read the full article here.