After the bliss of summer vacation comes to an end, the idea of going back to school can be daunting, especially for new students. Imagine how it must feel to not only have to deal with adjusting to a new school, but an entirely new country as well. Pelham Memorial High School welcomes new students from all over the map each and every year. This year, one of the newest students to PMHS is sophomore Kim Ridderhof, who hails from the Netherlands.

Kim Ridderhof moved from the Netherlands to Pelham this summer. So far, Kim seems to be adjusting to PMHS really well, as she has grown to feel comfortable and included.

It’s really different than where I used to live, but I really like [Pelham] and the school,” said Kim.

She explained how her transition to the town and school has been made easy due to the kindness shown by the students and faculty here at PMHS.

“The people are really nice,” she said. “At the beginning, I was getting used to it because speaking English and stuff was kind of hard.”

Not only does Kim now speak English almost fluently, but she is also an avid field hockey player. Kim started playing about five or six years ago and joined PMHS’ varsity girls field hockey team this season. Kim is excited to play and participate in many sports at PMHS,