Mariel Joy Day, at 13, got to live out a fantasy of anyone that age, celebrating her birthday twice.
Day came to the U.S. with her mom, celebrating in the Philippines and then once she arrived in Reno, celebrating her special day again of turning into a local teenager, as there is a 15 hour time difference.
Day is now a 20-year-old university student still living at home with her mom and studying at the Reynolds School of Journalism at UNR.
Day is interested in both news journalism and public relations, and while she is unsure of which field she wants to go into specifically, Day is sure that she is following her passion.
Currently, Day also works as a student reporter at KUNR. Next semester she wants to explore the public relations side of journalism.
The decision to pursue journalism was not one that Day made lightly, as she explains it is not always seen as a viable career option in the Philippines.
Before arriving in the U.S., all Day knew about this country was from the movies she watched. These movies gave her an idea of U.S. culture, but failed to include the struggles of adapting and living here.
She had a hard time adjusting to making new friends and the different education system.
“Movies have a very specific idea of America,” Day said, “and I don’t think it’s fully accurate.”
When Day first arrived in the U.S. she was in the middle of 7th grade. Making friends quickly became a challenge for her.
“People here are meaner,” Day said. “In middle school I had a hard time making friends.”
Making friends wasn’t her only struggle, as Day realized how different her classes were. On one occasion, her class was learning about the 13 British colonies of the U.S. before they gained independence. Day was unaware of what they were.
“They’re not going to restart history for me,” she said.
While Day knew English as she was taught it in the Philippines, hearing it from people here made her realize the language barrier that she would have to overcome.
Adjusting to a brand new culture, different educational content and a language barrier, caused Day to miss home.
“I genuinely told my mom I want to go back home,” she said after a few months in the U.S. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
For Day, she says it took her until her senior year of high school to fully adjust while still discovering more cultural differences.
“Looking back, I’m proud that I kept going and pushed through,” she said.
Day says she is still connected to her culture in the Philippines, especially through her humor, using a lot of wordplay.
“My humor is very Filipino coded, so if you don’t get it, you’re not going to think I’m funny,” she said.
Her friends frequently and positively comment on Day being “so Filipina” something that Day is proud of.
Day first entered college as a nursing major, a choice she would quickly change her mind on.
“You get more respect … in [the Philippines] if you were in medicine or law,” she said.
Thus, Day’s passion for journalism came with fear of what her family would think.
“The person that was really scary to disappoint was my mom,” she said. “She’s gonna think I am a failure.”
The rest of Day’s family was excited to see her become a nurse, and even now some are still unsure about her decision. Though, they mainly want her to be happy.
When Day eventually told her mom, she got an unexpected response.
“I told her and she was like, ‘I don’t even know why you did nursing in the first place,’” Day said.
Regardless of her major, Day’s mom wanted her to go to college and be successful. Now Day says she makes an effort to follow her mom’s advice of “do what makes you happy.”