North Atlanta is not just a student full of those with diverse ethnic backgrounds, but it is also one with a wonderful representation of international vitality. The school boasts many students not born or originally from the United States and sometimes students from an geographically eclectic background can find each other as friends. Such was the case with seniors Deotille Hommeril and Sharon Kwarm.

Two of North Atlanta’s newer students, Hommeril and Kwarm shared an instant bond as they learned about each other’s cultural backgrounds. They met in Curlese Benson’s journalism class. At first, they didn’t have much interaction, but after a few conversations, they knew they would get along well. 

Hommeril was born in the Philippines and raised in Rouen, France. While she takes on a sweet French accent, she was able to take weekly language classes in France to improve upon her English. Due to her father’s job as a diplomat under the French government, she has been all around the world. From the Philippines and Mali to Africa and Canada, Hommeril has certainly been across the globe. And since 2019, she has called the ATL her home. 

Kwarm is from Ghana, West Africa where like Hommeril, she lived until 2019. However, she frequently traveled back and forth so she wasn’t new to the States nor the language. Since English is the official language of Ghana, it was the first language she learned as a child. She adopted Fante as a second language, a dialect of Akan, which is a part of the Niger-Congo language family. Despite enjoying her time in Ghana, living in the U.S permanently was a blessing in disguise for Kwarm. “I’d rather live here than Ghana, but I still love both Ghana and the U.S,” she said. 

For reasons like moving into a bigger house and enrolling in a better school environment, Hommeril would agree. Discovering places specific to Atlanta, however, might have just been the cherry on top. “I enjoy visiting Stone Mountain, the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coca-Cola,” she said. 

There’s still a lot she hasn’t gotten around to but, granted, it’s a big city compared to what she’s used to. The roads are larger, the buildings are taller, and the products are bigger. She could certainly live without the bustle and hassle of driving everywhere, especially in this Atlanta traffic. In Kwarm’s home town, there weren’t nearly as many tall buildings and most products were sold by merchants at the markets. For instance, a large bag of chips in France is way smaller than what we would consider to be a large bag in the United States. “In France everything was a walk away, now it takes me more time to get from place to place,” Hommeril said. 

Though they’ve lived in different parts of Africa, they swear by African traditional food. The North African dish, couscous, is Hommeril’s favorite. Duck, or “canard de sang,” is her favorite Rouen dish. The Ghanian traditional dish Waakye is Kwarm’s favorite. It’s a combination of cooked rice and some type of beans. “It’s a lunch food but I ate Waakye in the mornings for breakfast,” Kwarm said.

From all walks of life, we’re all more similar than we realize. These two friends in our North Atlanta community are living proof of it.