Going through high school itself can be isolating.

But imagine the difficulty faced by a student who, nine weeks into each new school year, vanishes like clockwork -- and doesn’t return again until May.

It’s a way of life for migrant students like Manchester High School senior Carolina Rubio, but not one easily understood by their peers. Her entire life, Rubio has been coming to the Manchester Community School District, located in southwest Washtenaw County, for part of the school year, before heading back to Texas with her family for the rest of the year.

Manchester High migrant students Carolina Rubio, left, and Charlie Perez, right, shared their experiences at forum held with migrant and traditional students in the hopes of beginning to bridge the cultural divide between the two groups. There to moderate, was Cheryl Call, center, a state federal programs coordinator, migrant coordinator and Spanish teacher at the high school.

Manchester High, which opened its doors to migrant students in 1985, is now beginning to address that cultural divide.

In a special forum held Wednesday, four senior members of Manchester High’s mentor program - where pairs of seniors mentor groups of new freshmen - met with Rubio and junior Charlie Perez, another migrant student, to discuss the issue.

At the high school forum Wednesday morning, both the traditional students and migrant students were encouraged to discuss their thoughts on the gap that exists between the two groups, which all of the students admitted was evident.

“I don’t feel like there’s ever been any effort by the school to really educate people on what’s going on (with the migrant students),” said Kate Brown, a senior mentor at Manchester High.

Megan Bossory, another senior mentor, said she would like to see “more comfortable, casual interaction” between migrant and traditional students.

The forum was a result of a special school board work session meeting held Sept. 21 at the migrant workers’ camp. The session was an opportunity for migrant high school students and their parents to have their voices heard in a comfortable setting regarding school issues. Approximately 20 migrant teens and parents were in attendance.

“I’ve seen a lot of challenges and issues they go through - how the migrant teens struggle with their lifestyle,” said Cheryl Call, a state federal programs coordinator, migrant coordinator and Spanish teacher at the high school.

“In classes, they don’t want to be by themselves. They feel so isolated.”

Currently, there are 15 migrant students at the high school, 45 migrant students altogether in Manchester schools, and approximately 150 people living at the migrant camp located about seven miles north of Manchester at Du Russels’ .

Migrant students have been coming to Manchester’s schools for 24 years, for which the Manchester Community School District currently receives approximately $250,000 per year in additional state funding thanks to increased enrollment numbers. However, the high school has yet to implement any sort of program or activities aimed at helping the migrant students and traditional students feel more comfortable with each other.

“There’s been no visioning as far as planning. I’ve been really trying to figure out the avenue,” Call said, who hopes Wednesday's forum was a step in that direction.

While Rubio and Perez have particularly outgoing personalities, they know firsthand the struggles faced by migrant students.

After school, they go to work on the farm picking vegetables, and most of the money they earn is handed over to their parents to help support their families. On evenings when many Manchester teens are socializing and attending school events, most migrant teens are expected to be at work on the farm.

Often, when a migrant student wants to attend a school function, he or she doesn’t have the option because of work obligations.

“It’s kind of hard work, but at the same time, I see it as a cool experience in my life,” Rubio said. “Someday I would like to come back with a good job, and see other people doing what I did.”

Emphasizing the value she puts in the strong work ethic she has developed as a migrant student and worker, Rubio added, “I don’t want people to feel sorry for us.”

In the high school atmosphere, Rubio and Perez say they would like to see a friendlier relationship between migrant students and traditional students.

Perez encouraged the senior mentors at the forum to take initiative, and to talk to migrant students more often.

“If you guys would go talk to them,” he suggested, “others students would see, ‘Hey, they’re talking to them, too.’”

The senior members of Manchester High’s mentor program said during the meeting they’ll embrace the idea of making some senior migrant students mentors for next year - Perez included. By doing so, freshman students will hopefully have a better opportunity to get to know and understand the migrant students right away.

The mentors also encouraged Rubio, Perez and the other migrant students to participate in the school’s homecoming activities this year.

“I feel like it seems really separate right now, but I think if people knew more about (the migrant students), they would feel more comfortable,” said mentor Kate Brown after the forum ended.

“I’m glad we did this - I learned a lot today.”