New International students of 2023

​Kamen the math man from Bulgaria

By Liam Rippel
Kamen Petkov ‘25 is regarded by many as an academic weapon when it comes to mathematics, as he consistently earns grades topping the class in his AP Calculus AB class, and is always willing to lend a hand to a student who needs it. 
I asked Kamen what his favorite subject was and he said, “I would say AP Calculus.” 
He loves math, and part of the reason he is so good at it is because he has taken specialized math courses in Bulgaria since he was around 10 years old. 
Those who spend a lot of time with Kamen have come to know how much he loves Bulgaria, his home country. It is quite easy to tell as Kamen loves to compare everything he has and does to what it is like in Bulgaria, as “Well in Bulgaria…” has become a frequently used phrase of his. 
Kamen has enjoyed his time here in the States, and had the opportunity to participate in a sport by playing soccer in the fall. Kamen is the first NCS Bulgarian student, and he has definitely set a high standard as an international student.

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Catalonian Kimmy plays American football

By Gracie Munro

As the bright lights of Spartan field shine down, middle linebacker Joaquim “Kimmy” Vilahur-Tamayo, ‘27, steps out onto the playing field at Salem High for his first “home” game in America. Loud cheering and enthusiastic shouts came from the crowd of Raiders, fueling the rush of the mid-game adrenaline. 
Originally from Catalonia, Spain, Kimmy came to the United States for football opportunities at North Cross. He started playing football last year in his home country, and his coach told him about the exchange program and set him up at North Cross to study abroad and play for the team.
 For him, the hardest part of coming to America was having to learn a new language.
“It was very different because I came here and everyone was speaking in English,” says Kimmy. “I was the only one speaking Spanish.”
For college, he is planning to stay in the United States and hopefully play football as well. Kimmy had 23 tackles this year with an average of almost three per game, which is just a little bit higher than the national average.
He says his favorite thing about the exchange program so far is that he gets to live in a dorm with other students, which he says is a lot of fun, because he gets to be around other people from school. He also likes the freedom of the dorm, and he spends most of his freetime downtown or at the gym to stay in shape for sports.
The thing he misses most about Catalonia is the food. He says he likes it a lot better than the dorm food, and he likes to eat it when he goes home over breaks to visit family. 

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Jason Phan ‘25, Bob Almenas ‘25 and Nguyen play pool during the holiday party. Photo by Brett Odom

​Alejandro Zuñiga makes the cut

By Anna Ciccozzi


“Angry Bird come here!” says Alejandro Zuñiga ‘26’s friends as they call him over. 
Nicknamed Angry Bird because his friends think he looks like the yellow angry bird, Chuck, from the game Angry Birds, Alejandro Zuniga is a new addition to North Cross and its sports teams. This past season, Alejandro played on the soccer team, and has recently joined JV basketball this winter. 
“Both sports are fun but basketball is my favorite,” said Alejandro.
Although the team has faced a couple challenges so far, Alejandro still consistently practices with determination alongside he teammates.
“We’ve lost games,” said Alejandro, “but I still like it.”
Sports was one of the factors for Alejandro wanting to come to the U.S. in the first place, but it also had to do with his brother.
“My brother went to the U.S.,” said Alejandro, “and he told me about it and I wanted to go.”
Over break, Alejandro enjoyed spending time with his cousin in Canada. Along with spending time with family, Alejandro loves hanging with his friends.
“I just love to be with my friends and talk with them whenever I can,” said Alejandro.
“He’s cool,” said Charlie Zhao ‘26, “Alejandro is one of my best friends in the dorm and we play and hangout downstairs.”
Overall, he likes his experience and environment, but if he could change one aspect about the dorm it would be the curfew time and food. As for school, Alejandro says maintaining grades can be difficult at times, but he is still doing well and continuing to work hard. The change from Spain to Roanoke was very different for Alejandro, but he admires things about both of them.
One thing Alejandro admired about his move to the US is having the opportunity to try a new skill of his. If you walk down the hall and look at Mario or Jason’s hair, you might notice something different about their appearance or fresh new hairstyle. What you might not know, however, is that Alejandro is the man behind the cut. 
“In the dorm, I have cut like four or five people’s hair,” said Alejandro, “but I’m going to cut more.”
Alejandro had even tried cutting his own hair once, but he says he wants to stick to just cutting other people’s hair. The beginning of the school year marks the first time Alejandro got into cutting hair. There was no particular reason behind wanting to cut hair, and it was more of a random decision to try it. Since then, he has really enjoyed the process of cutting hair and wants to continue improving his skills.
“In my opinion, I think the best haircut I’ve given was to either my brother or cousin,” said Alejandro.
So far, Alejandro says his “clients” are satisfied with their new looks.
“The haircut I got from Alejandro was good, I would rate it an eight out of ten,” said Mario Mitzkewitz ‘25. “He’s just starting, but he’s not bad.” 
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​Nerea Cruz misses Madrid but makes the most of her time at NCS

By Anna Ciccozzi

​Nerea Cruz ‘24 makes her way to class wearing a slick-back bun, gold jewelry, and carrying her signature Longchamp bag.
Whenever I’m walking down the hall, I can always spot Nerea from her fashionable outfit or welcoming smile. Born in Madrid, Spain, Nerea joined the North Cross community this year. Although this is her first school experience in the United States, last summer, she had previously visited Florida. Nerea discovered NCS through an agency back home that helped bring her to Roanoke. So far, Nerea is enjoying her experience as she navigates the new environment around her.
“It’s sooo different,” said Nerea, “I like it here, but I still miss Spain.”
Like all our other international students, Nerea lives in the dorm. Nerea often spends her time around the other students from Spain, like her roommate and close friend, Paola Gorris ‘24. 
“I like the dorms,” said Nerea, “but I don’t like so much the food.” 
Unsurprisingly, Nerea is not the only one who feels this way and many other dorm students have expressed their strong opinions about the dorm meals.
Along with dorm life, Nerea was surprised by the importance and emphasis of sports in the United States. This year, Nerea joined the varsity volleyball team and plans on possibly joining soccer. 
“This was my first time playing,” said Nerea, “but I’m happy I tried it and got to be a part of the team”.
Although never having played volleyball, Nerea used to be involved in a unique sport activity of her own. 
Aerial Silks, otherwise known as aerial contortion involves a person performing skills and acrobatics using a piece of fabric. The skill involves lots of different aspects including strength, technique, flexibility, and training. Nerea used these skills for the past five years of her life while participating in the art.
“When I do silks, it feels like you’re flying,” said Nerea.
In a typical practice day for Nerea, she begins with training on the floor until moving up to the silks and practicing in the air. 
“I’ve fallen sometimes, but I have not got too hurt, and it’s still really fun,” said Nerea.
Sometimes Nerea misses doing aerial silks, but it does not bother her too much that she has not done it since she left. While reminiscing over old memories, Nerea has made and is continuing to make more in America. One of her favorite memorable moments was Thanksgiving week.
“I went to Miami so it was perfect!” said Nerea.
The meat was her favorite food at Thanksgiving, and she got to spend her time swimming in the ocean and going on boat rides. 
Nerea explained that her biggest challenge has been the language barrier and making new friends. Regardless, Nerea is working through this as she continues to practice her English and meet and interact with new people.
“She is very smart and friendly and pretty,” said Sara Otaegui ‘26, one of her close friends.
Nerea’s mother had also come to the U.S. to study, so Nerea is following the same path. When asked about her future goal, Nerea just wants to finish her career. Although school in the U.S has been a great opportunity for Nerea, she ultimately wants to go back home to Spain for college.
“I love spending time with my family, and I can’t wait to be back home spending time with them,” said Nerea.

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New students of 2022

​Kramar comes east to play elite lacrosse

The reason why Lacrosse goalie Andrew Kramar  decided to go to North Cross was for him to play on the East Coast, and hopefully win a state championship with North Cross. 
Another reason for his transfer is Kramar believes that playing on the east coast will increase his chances of playing Division I lacrosse in college.
Kramar, ‘24, grew up in Livermore, California, where he played at Livermore High. Andrew admits to sitting the first four games of his high school career.  Soon after he ended up taking the starting job of junior goalie. The next year he was elected as one of the three captains , and holds the all time save record at his old high school. 
Kramar started playing lacrosse in seventh grade, He states he started playing because one of his best friends started playing alongside with a coach he respected very much. He sees himself ending up at the Division I level for lacrosse, and he states that in an ideal world he will play professional lacrosse. Andrew is not currently playing any other sports. When he grows up he wants to do freelance mechanical engineering, alongside playing professional lacrosse.
Kramar was recruited for his performance at a lacrosse tournament in Pennsylvania and ended up finding out about North Cross through his current North Cross coach Chris Pollock. Kramar’s  favorite lacrosse player goes by the name of Kyle Bernlohr, who is a goalie who plays professional lacrosse in Maryland Terrapin and is part of the Premier Lacrosse League and is named head coach of Ignatius High School.
A quote he goes by to keep going is “you are not the best.” Andrew states this quote was told to him by his late coach Jack Wojuski. This is one of Andrew’s favorite quotes, because it was something a coach said to him when he was playing well. He claims this is the saying that brings him down to earth, and keeps him pushing towards his goal of  being the best at what he does. Lacrosse is what makes him get up in the morning. Andrew says without it he would have no motivation to do anything.
What does lacrosse mean to Andrew?  Andrew states lacrosse is everything to him.
“[Being goalie] is the one constant that never changes,” he said. “It’s always just you and the field.”

josh miao shows spirit

SHAQ IS BACK: On jersey day, Josh Miao ‘25 wears a Shaqille O’Neal  jersey. The Orlando Magic was Shaq’s first team in the NBA. This jersey was made in 1990. Miao might play basketball, but he ran for the cross country team in the fall. He dropped his 5k time from 27 to 21 minutes. Caption and photo by Jiale Qin

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Rooney rocks mohawk

Photo by Aaron Jones

When Jackson Rooney ‘25 showed up for summer football practice, he wore his hair in a way similar to former NBA great Dennis Rodman. Thus, like Rodman, Rooney’s nickname became “Worm.”
This is his first year at North Cross. He came from Patrick Henry. This is his first year playing football as well. Although he has played many other sports too. Some of these include basketball and swimming.
Rooney said that playing football is a good way to meet people.
He dreams of playing tight end, but for now he is learning to play offensive and defensive line positions. He is listed as 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds.

​Viktoriia Iarkova brings cool vibes from Siberia

By Alexandra Isabelle Stone


Viktoriia Iarkova ‘25 is from the city of Kemerovo in Siberia. She last saw Russia on Aug. 4, 2023, when she moved to the U.S. 
She came to the U.S. in order to move out of Russia. Her aunt and uncle still live nearby and decided that North Cross was the best school for her. 
She says that everything is different here. People are calmer, happier, everyone smiles and tries to make small talk. She says that there is more freedom here in America and more stores than in Russia. But she doesn’t care about that, what she cares about is people’s freedoms and in Russia they don’t have that. 
What she likes about America are the people, the education system, the laws and the weather. 
What she doesn’t like about America is the food, she says that the food is fatty and has a lot of sugars. 
What she likes about NCS is everything. The dress code at her school is a lot more strict, so she not only likes the dress code but the teachers, the students, classes, and she thinks that the campus here is beautiful. She says it’s hard for her to sit still in class for an hour and a half. Sometimes she just can’t concentrate. What she likes about the dorm is the activities they do, like haunted houses, mini-trips, and cinema.
She says she doesn’t miss Russia, but she does miss her friends a whole lot. She says it was hard to adjust to living in America and still is. She says that her parents didn’t move with her but her grandma did, and her two aunts are living here with their families. She chose to live here because even though her family’s house is too far away and she wants to get the experience of living in an international community. 
What she loved to do before she lived in America was dancing. She says she would dance everyday in Russia. She says that she is a Vogue dancer, and now that she lives here she can’t find a spot to dance. 
She has become a really hard worker and is just motivated to study and improve her knowledge. Viktoriia wishes to go to college here.
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Julia Corliss adds to v-ball

Photo by Sarah Sledd

This is Julia Corliss’s first year at North Cross School and she likes it a lot. Her favorite subject is science and her favorite teacher is Dr. Andrews. Her favorite sport is volleyball, which she has been playing for seven years now.  
Corliss was born on Sept. 18, 2006 in Carmel, Indiana, but spent little of her life living there. She is now 16 years old and a sophomore. She had been at Hidden Valley High School. She has one older brother who is now in college. 
“Julia is a really good player and she is a great leader,” according to Ava Dalaski. “In games she always stepped up and did whatever the coach needed her to do. She was always good at keeping the team energy up and getting us pumped up before games.” 
Julia’s favorite thing to do on the weekends is hang out with her friends. Her best friends at North Cross are: Ava Dalaski, Cate Cook, Dajah Garrison, Nadia Hosny, Jackson Rooney and Teea Hash. 
She also really enjoys going to the lake where she spends a lot of her free time. Her favorite season is summer because she likes the warm weather, spending time with friends, and going on vacation. Lastly, her favorite holiday is Christmas because she gets to spend time and visit with family that she does not see as often. 
As anyone can see from the statistics below, Julia is a very valuable team member. 
“Julia is an especially hard worker with great leadership and foundational skills,” Coach Emily Gaston said. “She has been a great asset to the volleyball program.”