Freshman hopes to ease transition for other young immigrants

At age 12, Yanci Almonte Vargas learned he’d be leaving the Dominican Republic for a new life in the United States.

He was thrilled. All his favorite Disney Channel sitcoms originated from New York City.

“I thought, I’ll go there and live this fun life like the TV shows portray,” he says.

The reality has been a bit more mixed — lots of positive experiences, for sure, but also some challenges. Now, as a freshman at UW–Madison, he’s able to look back on those years with an eye toward helping other young immigrants prepare for what awaits them.

Read Yanci’s Wisconsin Story