Ana Maria Cherciu said it was a difficult transition to move from her native country of Romania to teach in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5. Now, in her second year at New Vision Alternative School, she is glad she made the move.

"I am very happy in Orangeburg. I'm happy I was placed here," Cherciu said.

Cherciu is not the only foreign teacher to be recruited to teach in the county as school districts across the state are struggling to meet their teaching needs. One avenue they have taken is to select teachers from abroad through various programs.

Cherciu came to Orangeburg through the FACES program which recruited her as she graduated from the University of Romania. She didn't know exactly where she would end up, a fact which made her nervous at first, she said.

Then she met New Vision Director Robert Hemby and her mentor at the school Steve Williams. She credits them for helping make the transition much easier.

The transition for Edisto High School biology teacher Lenora Cabute had its ups and downs. Cabute and fellow Edisto teacher Ella Campos are both from the Philippines. Cabute taught in Chester and is currently in her second year in the state. She said she had some challenging students her first year which almost tested her resolve to stay.

"I almost went home last year," Cabute said.

Cabute now has become more comfortable in her new surroundings. "They are more expressive, I like that," she said about her new students.

Both teachers credit Edisto Principal Baron Davis for helping them feel welcome and prepared to take on the task. To do that, Cabute and Campos sat in on classes and were taught different instructional strategies.

Campos found it challenging as well. She said some of the children had to be reminded about what they can and can't do in class. In some cases, she said, the children don't value education as much as they do in her country.

Cherciu has had to overcome disciplinary hurdles with her students, too. Working at an alternative school, she must cope with a myriad of behavioral issues in her class. However, after becoming oriented to the school and collaborating with her peers, things have progressed.

"Its like a family," she said of her colleagues.

Chercui said she also had to deal with some cultural differences such as the what sport the name "football" refers to. In Romania, soccer is called football. She said she hasn't quite caught on to the American version of football.

Cherciu, Cabute and Campos have traveled extensively to different states and cities in America. Campos said she has been to California, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. since arriving in America through her involvement in the Visitor International Faculty program. Cabute said she liked Florida because the weather was similar in the Philippines.

"It was my dream to come to the U.S.," Cherciu said. She said she wants to see the Grand Canyon most of all. Although she didn't get to see that landmark yet, she did enjoy her visit to New York City.

Both Cabute and Campos said their family members encouraged them to teach in America.

All three noted some differences between the United States and their countries.

Cabute said the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar is amazing. In her country, someone must save for an entire year to buy a car while in America they can do so in one month, she said. Campos and Cabute enjoy using the dollar to go shopping.

"We shop a lot," Cabute said.

Cherciu says a big difference is the amount of free time Americans have compared to Romanians. "I think you have more time for yourself compared to back home," she said.

She did note that the influences of western culture are becoming more integrated in her home country. Cherciu said the Upstate reminded her of Europe.

Instead of counties, the Philippines has provinces, Cabute said. She said her nation is divided into three main islands: Luzon, Visaysas and Mindanao. Visaysas is in the middle of the nation which features more industrial and economic regions. The other two islands' livelihood is centered more around fishing and farming, she said.

"Its basically the size of Arizona," Cabute said.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060.

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