When Leissmar Bracho talks about her first year as a refugee in the United States, she sounds happy. She made friends, graduated from high school and earned a scholarship to Montana State University Billings. After fleeing Venezuela and living for years in limbo in Peru, she finally has a clear path.

Bracho, 19, said her senior year at the Billings Multilingual Academy helped her bridge the gap between her education back home and her future in the U.S.

“You can do anything you want, or you can study anything you want,” was the message Bracho took from her year at the new school. “The English wasn’t a barrier for you to … fulfill those dreams or goals that you had in mind,” she said.

Billings Public Schools opened the charter school in the fall of 2024 for English learners.

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