On a cool summer night in the small village of Holubov, Czech Republic, a kid and his motorcycle fly through city streets and secluded countryside hills, feeling the breeze slip through the openings in his clothes. He pushes the motorcycle to its limits, savoring the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. Moments like these are what Martin Matulka lived for, but he was willing to leave all of that for a new chapter in his life.
Just eight months ago, Martin moved in with his aunt and uncle in the neighborhood of Sun Valley, California, leaving behind his parents and friends in the Czech Republic. Starting a new life in America, he hopes to meet new people and learn what it means to live in the U.S.
Walking the school halls, he looks like any other American student with his trendy clothes. Martin—or Marty, as his friends call him—has a very busy schedule. With his caretakers often at work, he spends much of his time on his own. Not only does he cook for himself, but he also manages the challenges of adapting to a new environment, attending a new school, making new friends, and keeping up with online schoolwork back in the Czech Republic.
For starters, the language barrier was something he had to adapt to and overcome. “I’ve known some English since I was very young,” says Marty. But speaking only English in America and taking English classes here has not been easy. Each day, he works to improve not only his grammar and writing but also his everyday conversations. “Martin is a great example of someone learning a foreign language. He picks it up very quickly, and I can see he’s taking what he learns in English conversation and applying it to challenging literature assignments,” says Mr. Simmons, Marty’s English teacher at SRHS, and his favorite teacher.
“I feel like he was uncomfortable at first, going to high school in America after living in a small town his whole life,” says Sierra Balch, a senior at SRHS and a neighbor who drives him to and from school each day. To help adjust, Marty decided to join the SRHS football team, encouraged by Sierra’s motivation.
Marty joined the SRHS football team as soon as he could. Though he had never played American football, he was determined to try it out. Even without much playing time, he quickly made friends and began to fit into the high school setting. “I’ve seen it on TV, and I wanted to try it when I came [to America],” says Marty. “It’s the one thing you can’t do in the Czech Republic.” His teammates even sang Happy Birthday to him, making him feel welcomed into the SR community. “He’s a chiller guy… I’ve been teaching him slang and helping him find his place,” says Harper Corso, an SRHS senior and former football teammate.
Unfortunately, after a few weeks, Marty’s school in the Czech Republic found out about him playing football and threatened to expel him if he continued. Marty explains that his school only allows him to study in America for academics, not extracurriculars, as these would distract him from his primary goal of graduating. School in the Czech Republic is crucial for him. He attends one of the top schools in South Bohemia, with a prestigious history and a highly selective admission process. Graduating from this institution carries significant importance, and he feels lucky to have been accepted there. Despite his desire to play, school had to come first and dropping out was not an option.
With all these challenges, Marty can’t easily share his feelings with his parents or close friends from home. The eight-hour time difference makes it hard to find moments to connect outside of school hours. He truly misses them, and he lights up when remembering the good times he spent with them. Although it’s difficult, he still finds ways to stay in touch and occasionally travels back to his hometown.
Marty is mostly occupied with schoolwork. He completes large amounts of coursework from SRHS on weekdays and devotes hours to online Czech classes. Even with this constant workload, “He’s done really well in school,” says Patricia Conway, Marty’s aunt. When friends invite him to hang out after school or on weekends, he often replies, “Sorry, I can’t; I have to finish my schoolwork.”
At his new home, he adapted quickly to his surroundings. Marty says the change wasn’t too difficult, and even if there were challenges, he’s adaptable enough to make them manageable. Early on, he visited tourist attractions and explored the grand city of San Francisco while getting to know his aunt and uncle. Now, he fits right in, completing work with minimal assistance and helps out by doing chores for them. In the short time he’s been here, he has already created lasting memories with them.
“He is very mature and self-sufficient,” says Patricia. From figuring out how to come to America for a year to finding a home, arranging things with his old school, and enrolling in high school here, he knows how to get things done, especially things he truly wants. “A 17-year-old Czech kid is more like a college kid,” she adds.
Currently, Marty doesn’t fully know what the future holds. He plans to return to the Czech Republic after graduating high school to complete his studies there. After that, he hopes to return to America for college and major in finance, or possibly work in his family’s construction business back home.
What we do know is that he will keep pushing toward his goals, whatever they may be, and continue to make meaningful connections along the way—all while staying close to his family and loved ones, even if they are 5,800 miles away.
