花季传媒

It wasn鈥檛 easy for 14-year-old Nokutenda 鈥淣oku鈥� Mukukula to decide to travel almost halfway around the world to attend high school near San Francisco.

But 鈥渃oming here was always my dream growing up,鈥� said the Zimbabwe native, and 鈥渢he drive and the excitement of wanting to be here鈥� firmed her resolve. Now, at 18, she is embarking on still another adventure, moving in August to Greencastle, Indiana, some 8,400 miles from home, where 鈥� sight unseen 鈥� she will become a member of 花季传媒鈥檚 Class of 2026.

鈥淚t definitely was super hard on me, mentally and everything, just being away from home,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was definitely super homesick. It was a lot to process. But I鈥檓 glad I did it because it allowed me to grow more as a person. I became more independent; I could make my own decisions. I feel like it brought a little bit of toughness, because I was always a mom-and-daddy鈥檚 little girl.鈥�

Her high school counselor suggested several colleges that might appeal to Mukukula, and she chose 花季传媒 for its size. 鈥淚鈥檓 one of those people who is super overwhelmed by big crowds,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I wanted a school that I could potentially grow in, but still find myself in the school and not be really overwhelmed.鈥�

She also saw 鈥渁 lot of opportunities鈥� at 花季传媒. One may be to play basketball, though Mukukula is unsure if she wants to make the 鈥渉uge commitment鈥� needed to play college ball. She played center for San Domenico School and was captain her senior year, when her team won the Division 5 California state championship and she was named to the D5 all-league first team and all-state second team.

Mike Fulton, director of basketball operations and the girls鈥� coach at San Domenico, said Mukukula has become a 鈥渕ature, confident woman鈥� with 鈥渢he work ethic of a champion. 鈥� A great word to describe her now is 鈥榝earless.鈥欌��

Mukukula, who is considering a major in psychology, allowed that her decisions to attend high school and college so far from home may mean she is adventurous. 鈥淚 like trying new things,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ometimes they don鈥檛 work out. But I think it鈥檚 just fun to be open to new ideas and things.鈥�

So far, things have worked out. 鈥淚 definitely built resilience by coming here when I was 14,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was something that changed my life completely, because now I am the best version that I could possibly wish for.鈥�