Having attended Nayland for less than a year, the new group of South Americans have certainly made a big impact within both the school and the football community.

When you think of South America, you think of the football culture that so many South Americans love. The group of Colombians new to Nayland are no different: all are fond of the beautiful game and some have tasted success in Nelson through football.

Jefferson Cano (17), Jose Cano (15), Andres Cortes (15) and Alejandro Fernandez (15) all share a passion for football and futsal (a five-a-side, indoor variation of football), playing across a variety of different age groups on different days of the week. All play in the Nayland College First XI and say they are enjoying every moment of their lives here.

Alejandro, in particular, has taken opportunities in the short period of time he has lived here and he's had success as well. Not only has he represented Nayland College football at the Tawa Exchange and the Jim Wishart tournament, but he also represented Nelson and Nayland in futsal this year.

The football culture is more prolific in Colombia and Ecuador, as highlighted when Alejandro was asked what the football is like in his country of origin - his response was “too much football!”

Not all Colombian students play football, however. Not to be left out, Dallana Cortes (17) and Sofia Betancur (14) are also loving every moment of their lives in Nelson, and Dallana is happy to support her football-playing brother at his games.

Leaving Ecuador and flying to New Zealand to start a better life was always going to be a culture clash. Even though the immigrant group is widely known as the Colombians, the many different families who hail from various parts of Colombia actually moved to Ecuador with their parents when they were young. Fortunately, the Colombians have had no trouble immersing themselves in Nayland culture and making new friends, even though the most different aspect of their new lives is “the people”.

The native Spanish speakers are bringing other opportunities to the school as well. “It’s nice to have someone who speaks Spanish and is learning English, so I can hear what it actually sounds like from a fluent speaking person," a Nayland Spanish student commented. In this way, their presence is beneficial for Nayland students learning Spanish, as the students can hear what the words sound like first-hand.

Refugee coordinator and Spanish teacher Judi Boyd shares a similar opinion. “It’s wonderful having the Colombians here – it brings so much more Spanish into the school and helps the Spanish class be much more Spanish! We also get to hear more Spanish around the school. The students who learn Spanish have the chance to regularly connect with Spanish speakers of their own age which is much more interesting than just speaking to their Spanish teacher. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to learn about the culture of a Spanish speaking country in a very natural way. The students reflect a lot of their culture in their lively approach to life and their passion for football and for music.”