Story 11: I Was Thinking I Was Going to Graduate

(Click here to hear audio.)

If I had to stay in Kenya one more year, I was going to finish and get my diploma or what they give. When I was coming to United States, I was in seventh grade. If I had to stay in Kenya, in one year, I was going to finish school and graduate. When I came to the United States, I had to start seventh grade. When I was in Kenya, I was in seventh grade.

When I came here, they put me in seventh grade. Then I was in eighth grade. Then my Social Studies/English teacher said, “Okay. If you’re not studying hard, you just won’t go to high school.” I was thinking when I came here that I just had to go one more year and then I was going to graduate.

But it was different. I thought it was the same as in Kenya, but it wasn’t the same. I kept thinking, “This year’s my last year.” I was thinking high school was the college. I was like, “Hmm.” Then my friend said, “Okay. After this here, you go to ninth grade.” Then I said, “There’s nine grades? He was like, “You crazy. There’s ninth grade and tenth, eleventh, twelfth, then you go college.”

That was real good for me. I was extremely happy. I was taking more time and taking more courses, because I had more time and I had to take more classes that I didn’t take in Kenya.