My First Year in America Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:40:14 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626253 en-us © 2026 Sophia Media LLC yes 806ae648-14d2-5edf-b93e-cccec070a1dc SOPHIA MEDIA episodic false My First Year in America is a talk-show podcast where immigrants revisit their first year in the United States and reflect on the lasting impact it had on their identity, relationships, and sense of self.


Through intimate conversations, listeners hear  how immigration transforms identity, changing  how people see themselves and relate to others. Guests share what drew them to America, how their dreams have shifted, and the courage it took to navigate that first year’s challenges. Ultimately, we witness how immigration reshapes the relationships that matter most of all – with themselves, their families and the world around them.


Creator, Executive Producer and Host: Sophia

Co-hosts: Adoley Ammah-Tagoe, Gabbie Watts

Senior Producer: Gabbie Watts

Creative Director: Shareen Anderson 

Theme Music: Nana Simopoulos

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) love, human experience, immigration, true stories, immigrant, relationships, family, adventure SOPHIA MEDIA https://storage.buzzsprout.com/cnda6mincpf0gjm4klnxszus7bp7?.jpg My First Year in America https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626253 From London to Princeton: Catherine’s Immigration Journey, Family Transition, and Finding Belonging From London to Princeton: Catherine’s Immigration Journey, Family Transition, and Finding Belonging Sophia and Adoley interview Catherine about immigration and adapting to life in the US. Catherine, born in the UK to immigrant parents (a Scottish-descended father born in Canada and an Irish mother who moved to London at 16), describes growing up feeling like an only child and being accustomed to migration stories amid UK-Irish tensions in the 1970s–80s. She recounts meeting her American husband Andrew in 2010, having their son Matthew in 2012, and maintaining a long-distance relationship until deciding to immigrate in the US. Their spouse visa process during COVID took over two years, included prior visa-interview anxiety, a bureaucratic “glitch,” and intervention via a White House contact and their congressperson. Catherine discusses Matthew’s adjustment, her own challenges making friends, moving their dog, and later becoming a US citizen, valuing the Constitution and voting for the first time. 

🌐Follow the series wherever you listen to podcasts and join our growing community at sophiamedia.co.

▶️ www.youtube.com/@MyFirstYearSeries

❤️ Subscribe for more conversations about life's biggest transitions.

]]> Sophia and Adoley interview Catherine about immigration and adapting to life in the US. Catherine, born in the UK to immigrant parents (a Scottish-descended father born in Canada and an Irish mother who moved to London at 16), describes growing up feeling like an only child and being accustomed to migration stories amid UK-Irish tensions in the 1970s–80s. She recounts meeting her American husband Andrew in 2010, having their son Matthew in 2012, and maintaining a long-distance relationship until deciding to immigrate in the US. Their spouse visa process during COVID took over two years, included prior visa-interview anxiety, a bureaucratic “glitch,” and intervention via a White House contact and their congressperson. Catherine discusses Matthew’s adjustment, her own challenges making friends, moving their dog, and later becoming a US citizen, valuing the Constitution and voting for the first time. 

🌐Follow the series wherever you listen to podcasts and join our growing community at sophiamedia.co.

▶️ www.youtube.com/@MyFirstYearSeries

❤️ Subscribe for more conversations about life's biggest transitions.

]]> https://sophiamedia.co/myfirstyear/ SOPHIA MEDIA Buzzsprout-19527889 Fri, 04 Sep 2026 04:00:00 -0400 3093 diversity, immigration, expectations, immigrationpodcast, familystory, myfirstyear, sophiamedia 1 2 full false Twiggy on Leaving Acapulco and Finding Community in San Francisco Twiggy on Leaving Acapulco and Finding Community in San Francisco Hosts Sophia and Adoley interview Twiggy Damy, a care manager in the Bay Area, about her immigration journey from Acapulco, Mexico to California in 1991. Twiggy recounts losing her father at age five, being raised largely by her paternal grandmother, and her mother’s repeated moves to the U.S. that left Twiggy longing for reunification and struggling with suppressed grief. After years apart, Twiggy finally reunited with her mother and stepfather in San Francisco’s Mission District, adjusting to small apartments, public transit, limited holiday traditions, and not speaking English. And unexpectedly she found belonging through community theater for high-risk youth, which shaped her path into family- and community-based support work and deepened pride in her multicultural roots.


🌐Follow the series wherever you listen to podcasts and join our growing community at sophiamedia.co.

▶️ www.youtube.com/@MyFirstYearSeries

❤️ Subscribe for more conversations about life's biggest transitions.

]]> Hosts Sophia and Adoley interview Twiggy Damy, a care manager in the Bay Area, about her immigration journey from Acapulco, Mexico to California in 1991. Twiggy recounts losing her father at age five, being raised largely by her paternal grandmother, and her mother’s repeated moves to the U.S. that left Twiggy longing for reunification and struggling with suppressed grief. After years apart, Twiggy finally reunited with her mother and stepfather in San Francisco’s Mission District, adjusting to small apartments, public transit, limited holiday traditions, and not speaking English. And unexpectedly she found belonging through community theater for high-risk youth, which shaped her path into family- and community-based support work and deepened pride in her multicultural roots.


🌐Follow the series wherever you listen to podcasts and join our growing community at sophiamedia.co.

▶️ www.youtube.com/@MyFirstYearSeries

❤️ Subscribe for more conversations about life's biggest transitions.

]]> https://sophiamedia.co/myfirstyear/ SOPHIA MEDIA Buzzsprout-19529181 Fri, 04 Sep 2026 03:00:00 -0400 2925 Immigration, life transitions, major life changes, life milestones, transformative experiences, pivotal moments, personal reflection, meaningful conversations, personal stories, emotional journeys, authentic stories, honest conversations, opening up 1 1 full false My First Year in America - Season One Official Trailer My First Year in America - Season One Official Trailer What does it feel like to leave behind everything you've ever known—and begin again?

My First Year in America is a new podcast from Sophia Media exploring the deeply personal stories of immigrants and the first year that changed their lives.

Through intimate conversations, our guests revisit the excitement, uncertainty, fear, discovery, and transformation of starting over in the United States. They reflect on the people they left behind, the challenges they faced, the moments that shaped them, and how that first year changed their identity, relationships, and sense of self.

Because sometimes, a single year can change everything.

My First Year in America premieres September 4.

🌐Follow the series wherever you listen to podcasts and join our growing community at sophiamedia.co.

▶️ www.youtube.com/@MyFirstYearSeries

❤️ Subscribe for more conversations about life's biggest transitions.

]]> What does it feel like to leave behind everything you've ever known—and begin again?

My First Year in America is a new podcast from Sophia Media exploring the deeply personal stories of immigrants and the first year that changed their lives.

Through intimate conversations, our guests revisit the excitement, uncertainty, fear, discovery, and transformation of starting over in the United States. They reflect on the people they left behind, the challenges they faced, the moments that shaped them, and how that first year changed their identity, relationships, and sense of self.

Because sometimes, a single year can change everything.

My First Year in America premieres September 4.

🌐Follow the series wherever you listen to podcasts and join our growing community at sophiamedia.co.

▶️ www.youtube.com/@MyFirstYearSeries

❤️ Subscribe for more conversations about life's biggest transitions.

]]> https://sophiamedia.co/myfirstyear/ SOPHIA MEDIA Buzzsprout-19712780 Fri, 28 Aug 2026 03:00:00 -0400 131 My First Year In America, My First Year, Podcast, Immigrant Stories, Migration Stories, Childhood Memories, Human Stories, Sophia Media 1 trailer false