Today’s commencement will be a special day for Ignacio Carvajal, left, and his father, Jorge Carvajal, as the two will both be graduating from Kansas University. Ignacio will receive his undergraduate degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies, while Jorge will receive his doctorate in educational psychology. The family moved to the United States in 2002 from San Jose, Costa Rica.

Moving is traumatic enough.

Try moving with your family from Costa Rica to Kansas at age 13.

“I was freaking out,” said Ignacio Carvajal.

Now, nine years later, Carvajal will be graduating from Kansas University today with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies.

On the same day, his father, Jorge Carvajal, will be receiving his doctorate degree in educational measurement from KU.

The family came to Lawrence for Jorge to advance his education. At that time, teenager Ignacio spoke little English.

“Learning a language isn’t easy,” Ignacio said.

But what started as a frightening experience turned into a great one, he said, crediting his father and mother, Kemly Regidor, his teachers at Southwest Junior High and the fact that few people in town spoke Spanish.

“You had to speak English, otherwise you couldn’t talk to people,” he said.

He also has three sisters — twins Maria and Marta who are students at Johnson County Community College, and Monica, an eighth-grader.

Ignacio has also written poetry for years, and has hosted “Word,” a program on KU student radio station KJHK. The program is devoted to poetry and hip-hop.

Jorge said the learning environment and English as a Second Language program in Lawrence public schools were strong. He added, “I think it was the right decision” coming here.

After graduating from Lawrence High School, Ignacio enrolled at JCCC and then received a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship to go to KU.

Ignacio said that coming to Lawrence has been a blessing.

“I have found incredibly beautiful people here,” he said.

He’s not staying, however. After graduation, he is headed to University of Texas at Austin for graduate school.

“The world is so big,” he said, “and I want to see as much of it as I can.”