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Delilah would have the opportunity to learn Spanish by emersion as part of the Inter-national
Baccalaureate program, a unique academic curriculum that emphasizes the
personal development of students. Delilah, a Cape Fear Academy student, had unsuc-cessfully
applied to get into the same program at Hoggard High School in Wilmington.
At Del Mar, “you don’t apply, you just get in,” Amelia says. “I said, ‘This is it. I want
this. I want this for my child.’”
The idea that she could help Delilah chart a path to her dreams proved to be a strong
motivator.
“I think that living abroad makes you a more flexible, well-rounded person,” Amelia, a
talented artist and entrepreneur, says. “This seemed like great exposure for Delilah, as
there are people from all over the world living here.”
Leaving everything she knew behind did not produce a range of fear and anxiety in
Delilah. This was the ideal place to pursue her dream of being a pro surfer.
Fast-forward nine months, and Delilah feels at home in her ninth-grade class. The
10 to 12 teens are often mixed with the tenth grade, Montessori style, for an enviable
combined class size of 23 students.
“We get a lot of one-on-one with the teachers,” Delilah says.
Butterflies, birds, lizards and even monkeys are a common sight in the classroom
that’s open on two sides.
Above: Delilah competes with the boys at a Nicaragua surf contest in February 2020. Top: A sign warns about crocodiles as Delilah
Hutchins checks the surf at The Boca, Playa Nosara, in March 2020.
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