เมื่อฉันมาที่เกาะเฟลมมิ่งครั้งแรกฉันไม่รู้ภาษาอังกฤษและไม่รู้อะไรเลยเกี่ยวกับสหรัฐอเมริกา

FLEMING ISLAND – If you found that opening statement confusing, now you know how Thitirat Engprasert felt when she first walked onto the Fleming Island High campus.

(The Thai statement reads: When I first came to Fleming Island, I knew no English and knew nothing about the United States.)

Having moved here from Thailand, the senior couldn’t speak English. But with the help of tutors, extra work and earbuds, Thitirat passed the state’s required FAST Reading and B.E.S.T. Algebra tests to earn her degree – and a spot in Friday night’s graduation ceremony.

While conversations still remain daunting, Thitirat also worked six days a week at the family’s restaurant, Lanna Thai, on County Road 220 on Fleming Island.

Her father arrived here 15 years ago, but her mother kept her in Thailand until last year.

“It was finances. My mother, she was not OK with that,” she said. “She was sick. She said she would miss me. She said she would not come here. Now we come here.”

Thitirat said she started hearing English at her father’s restaurant but didn’t understand it.

“The first words I learned were ‘Hi” and “Thank you,” she said.

Thitirat said a translator accompanied her during classes, and she was given extra homework to complete enough work to meet the minimum graduation standards. She left school shortly after lunch and worked at the restaurant until 9:30 p.m. She studied until 11 a.m., slept and repeated the routine the next day.

During breaks, she listened to music to immerse herself in music with English lyrics. She said that it helped her learn and understand the language quickly.

“I listened to Taylor Swift,” Thitirat said. “I like Beyonce, Bruno (Mars) and Lady Gaga.”

“Sometimes I'm watching the movie Harry Potter. Oh yeah, The Lion King and Mustafa, anything Disney. I like Barbie and Frozen."

Following graduation, Thitirat will return to Thailand for a month and then start classes at St. Johns State River College in Orange Park.

“I want to learn English more,” she said. “I'm not good at English. I want to learn more English. And besides learning English, I want to study all the colors. I love art. I’ll be there for two years. It’s a good start.”