Hey guys!! Today's post is an interview with two seniors, Hope and Luke, to talk about what their life as TCKs has been like. They are both part of the high school class of 2020 and they are both off to their home country to go to college. Enjoy!!
1. How old are you?
Luke: I am 18
Hope: 17 years old
2. Where are you from?
Luke: I usually identify as being from Alabama, USA.
Hope: Oklahoma (mom and dad)
3. How long have you been a TCK?
Luke: I’ve been a TCK all my life, I first moved to South Asia when I was just a few months old.
Hope: Around 7 ½ years
4. What continent do you live in?
Luke: Asia
Hope: Asia
5. Do you have siblings? If so, what are their ages and genders?
Luke: I have 3 younger siblings, one 15-year-old sister, one 12-year-old brother, and one 4-year-old brother
Hope: I am the oldest of five kids. I have one sister (5 years old) and three brothers (10,13, and 15)
6. What has about being a TCK has inspired you and will affect your future plans?
Luke: I’d say what has inspired me is having personal relationships with people in remote villages that struggle with poverty. I plan to earn a degree in Social Entrepreneurship, which will allow me to start and manage non-profit businesses.
Hope: Having seen and learned to understand different cultures will help me fit into my environment.
7. What is your testimony and how has God helped you through hard times?
Luke: I became a Christian when I was much younger, but I went through some hard times a few years ago where I really struggled with my faith. God helped me through those struggles and reminded me that He is always with me, during highs or lows.
Hope: About three years ago my dad was imprisoned for being caught doing something that the government didn’t/doesn’t like. God helped our family through that really tough time. People loved and comforted us in any possible way they could. I’d say that was the biggest game-changer for me when I realized that God protected my dad and my family.
8. What has been your favorite thing about being a TCK?
Luke: My favorite thing about being a TCK is definitely the broad worldview that I have gained as a result.
Hope: I love that you can live in one place and still meet all kinds of different people.
9. What do you miss and look forward to, in your home country?
Luke: Well, I always look forward to seeing my extended family for sure, but outside of that the thing that always excites me is the American food!
Hope: My extended family, it's always good to see them again
10. What do you think are the benefits of being a TCK over being a kid raised in their home country?
Luke: I think that one benefit of being raised overseas instead of in my home country would be the broad worldview and cultural insights that I've gained.
Hope: I think TCKs benefit in a situation of loss. A TCK grows up knowing that nothing is permanent, it's not uncommon to have a friend leave overnight without saying anything, but TCKs have to expect that their friends are leaving. This makes us aware that the ‘goodbye’ we give our friends after leaving school could be our last, while kids who grow up in their home country are usually struck harder when they lose someone unexpectedly.
11. What advice would you give to a new TCK?
Luke: My advice would definitely be to research and learn about the country you are going to. That will help with the initial culture shock and will be very helpful with things like making friends, going out, and trying new things.
Hope: Things will be different in the country where you are moving. You will see many different types of religions and cultures. Learn to respect them, if you don't that makes things a little difficult and dangerous.
Luke and Hope have been through a lot in their years of being TCKs. And of course, they have experienced so many things that a "normal" graduating teen would never even think about doing. I think getting to graduate as a TCK is so much more of a step up in life than the average teen graduation. I really hope that I too will be able to graduate high school as a TCK. Even though the way they ended their years as TCKs this year isn’t exactly what any of us would have expected, it doesn’t mean they haven’t worked less hard to get where they are today.
I hope y’all enjoyed reading today's article! Look out for more of my upcoming articles!
-Heather⚽️