KISSIMMEE, Fla. — “Coming to America” is a high school club that eventually transformed into a book published by Osceola High School students.

The book is filled with the students’ stories of immigrating to the United States due to issues like the economic insecurity or violence.

“Since I started in the club, my writing skills improved and developed greater,” said high school graduate Jean Lara Rosa.

Through “Coming to America,” Rosa from Puerto Rico was able to tell his story as a Hurricane Maria survivor assimilating in Kissimmee.

He’s not the only one. Other students like Alexander Echavarria share the same sentiment.

“I have to do this because the club is going to mean something for other people,” Echavarria said.

Rosa, along with other students who already graduated, are now coming back to their high school to conduct writing workshops for their peers.

“We’re talking about kids who are recently arrived, immigrants … kids that recently arrived from different countries, settling in the area,” said Manny Hernandez, the teacher spearheading the project.

He added, “Becoming student authors, developing college and career readiness skills and coming back to High School to mentor kids just like them — that is ‘Coming to America.’”

When Spectrum News 13 spoke to Hernandez in April 2018, he said “Coming to America” was the “first book published by ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students in any high school — not only in Osceola County but the state of Florida.”

Even Osceola County is recognizing these students. At the last county meeting they were awarded certificates for their efforts.

Rosa now attends Valencia College and has won over $14,000 in scholarships. He believes it’s all thanks to his “Coming to America” experience.

“’Coming to America’ has helped me has helped all my peers as well,” Rosa said. “We have been united. Even though some of us have graduated, we are still together as a club.”

The next edition of “Coming to America” will be published in both English and Spanish — a first for the club.