At the 2009 Washington State School Director's Association annual conference, six Tukwila School District students, five from Foster High School and one from Showalter Middle School, shared their stories with conference attendees.

The Tukwila School District is the most racially diverse school district in the United States, as determined by a study done by The New York Times.

The six students, Amina Sali; Donna Enguerra; Michael Fertakis; Songul Izzatova; Kevin Lim; Michelle Tran and Carlos Vega, represented this diversity through their very different and very moving stories.

From stories of the struggle to learn English to being a refugee in a new country, the students told stories that nearly moved one audience member to tears. They also, however, explained through each of their stories how the international environment of the schools in Tukwila made the adjustment easier for them.

Michael Fertakis, who was born and raised in Tukwila, said he thought the district was normal and that was how other schools are.

Michelle Tran, who is Vietnamese born in the U.S., having also mostly grown up in the district, said she thought the same. It was not until she joined a school sports team that she found out otherwise.

"We'd go to other schools and they'd be all black kids or all white kids or all Asian kids."

She said no matter what the race, she feels somewhat awkward when she is around a bunch of people who are the same.

"We all relate to each other, no matter what our race," Tran said. "I finally realize we are really special."

Left by his parents at the age of 2, Kevin Lim was raised by his non-English speaking grandmother. He could not speak English when he started kindergarten although he had been born in the U.S.

"Elementary school was the most difficult for me," he said.

But when he got into fourth grade, he had learned to read and speak English. His grandmother could not be a support for him, because she could not speak English.

"She just told me to read a book," he said.

Coming from Kenya, Amina Ali said her father left her mother, herself, and her younger siblings to care for themselves. She said her life was all right for a while; she did not go to school, but she cared for her siblings and took on the roll of housewife while her mother worked. When her mother lost her job, she was scared.

Her family went to live in a refugee camp. "The refugee camp was an unsafe place for women," Ali said. "My sister was nearly raped."

The U.S. helped Ali and her family move. Foster High School is the first school Ali has ever attended and she knew no English upon moving here 3 1/2 years ago.

"I thought everyone was laughing at me," Ali said about her new schoolmates. "But they weren't."

Ali has nearly mastered the English language and said besides her ELL classes, she also watched movies and television and read books to learn English as quickly as she possibly could.

"With help from my friends who spoke the same language, I was able to do my school work," said Ali. Now, she is an Achievers Scholar and is looking forward to attending a university.

Carlos Vega was 5 years old when he moved to America with his family from Mexico. He, too, had to learn to speak English, but has been attending school in Tukwila for 11 years.

He said his best friend, who is from Ethiopia, has helped him remain on track. When his father lost his job, Vega had to take on a job as well to help pay bills.

As a result his grades dropped, but he said, his best friend helped him bring them back up.

"He encouraged me," Vega said. "My hope comes from my school and Foster High School is like no other."

One 8th grade student joined the Foster High School students to talk about her own experiences. Songul Izzatova is Turkish born in Russia, and she wrote a poem about her experience in Tukwila.

"When I first went to school here, it was easy for me to fit in," Izzatova said. The number of other international students at her school helped her feel more comfortable in the situation she was in.

Donna Enguerra was born in America Samoa and sent here by her parents when she graduated 8th grade. She said that is something her parents did with all her siblings, sent them to America after 8th grade for the better education.

She first lived with her aunt, and now lives with her brother.

Enguerra raved about the diversity in Tukwila schools. "You can gain so much knowledge from different cultures," she said. "It makes me think world peace exists at Foster High School."

When a big earthquake hit earlier this year, it struck her home, American Samoa. She said she received so many warm blessings from teachers and students.

Enguerra described how much students appreciate each other. "People at school are always wanting to learn our languages and about our cultures!"

Foster High School principal Jim Boyce gushed about his students.

"We have a school of amazing people," he said. "These students have remarkable stories."

According to Boyce, there are 42 languages spoken at Foster High School and are students from 68 different countries.

Flags hang on a wall of Foster representing countries students come from, and a poster hangs stating "welcome" in all the languages found at the school.

"Empathy" is the word Boyce uses to describe members of the "Foster family." Students can identify with each other's situations in many ways, and it helps make the environment a working one.

"They are mature beyond their years," Boyce said about his students.