It’s never easy to make friends in high school and perhaps it never will be, but imagine the difficulty of it with speaking only Spanish. It can be hard to be pressured on a daily basis to learn English to be able to communicate with your classmates and teachers.

Refugio Daniel de Jesus and his brother, Victor de Jesus Ramirez, both struggle with their English so it helps that they are both on campus together.

Because of these language challenges, their school years by far have been a struggle, but both brothers have managed to push through the school years and help one another succeed.

Even though they share many similarities, they are unique in their own ways. Refugio Daniel, who goes by Daniel, is seventeen, and Victor is fifteen.  The brothers were born in Salinas, California, but their family decided to move to Mexico, when they were very young. They’ve only been back in the United States for a couple of years.

The brothers were raised in a small town for about 10 years. Daniel was the first to move out, but he first moved to the city in Guajaca to finish middle school. When Victor moved out, he came straight to Fairfield so the change hit him harder. Daniel was already used to change, and he didn’t miss his hometown as much as Victor does.

Change can be good and change can be bad, it’s all about how perspective. Daniel likes the change more than Victor, he embraces it and sees it as an opportunity for a better lifestyle. His transition from one place to another has helped him become more independent, grow mentally and spiritually and develop new ways of thinking and learning.

Victor, on the other hand, doesn’t like the new environment as much and said that he wishes he could go back to his old school and reunite with his friends from home.

Academically, both brothers struggle with school but try their best day by day. Life hasn’t been very easy but they still manage to push through and appreciate the good things life has given them. Victor does enjoy his science class and doing labs, even when other classes are harder. Daniel’s favorite subjects are Spanish and English. He likes to learn new things and develop the things he already knows.

Even though they are two years apart, a lot of teachers confuse the siblings for each other and some have even asked if they’re twins! Daniel tells them no right away as he doesn’t like the thought of being alike to Victor.

Although  the change has come with a lot of ups, it also has come with its downs. Victor is quieter than Daniel and currently doesn’t have much interest in making lots of friends. He’s made a few friends and that’s all he needs. Daniel, on the other hand, isn’t as shy as Victor. He refers to the people he knows and hangs out with as acquaintances. At school, the brothers hang out with different groups. Daniel likes to hang out with other Spanish speaking boys while Victor prefers to hang out with girls.

No matter what, the brothers still count on one another if one is found in trouble. Growing up they weren’t as close, but just like most siblings, they still trust and tell each other things they couldn’t tell no one else. Daniel and Victor love their family so much and always have supported each other throughout the way, even at the most difficult situations. When they have a disagreement they end up talking things out or get over it because they can’t stay mad at each other for too long.

Daniel’s future goal is to become a police officer, he wants to change the world and make it a safer place. He has big goals and promises to not let his mother down. He thinks of his mother as his biggest inspiration and does all he can for her because she has done all she can for him.

Victor doesn’t have a clue of what he wants yet he also has big plans and. just like Daniel, he wants to make his mother proud. “Quiero darle lo mejor de mi, demostrarle que sí se puede hacer todo sin importar el idioma o el lugar,” he said. Translated, that means that he wants to show his mother anything is possible and that language couldn’t hold him back.