STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
NADEGE
I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, East Africa. I came to America when I was only 6, so I don’t really remember a lot about my life there. Much of my family is still there, and wish I could see them. When I first came to Manchester, I attended Webster School, and then transferred to Beech Street. There were many challenges I faced when I arrived, such as adjusting to the new environment here in Manchester. It was a lot different than back home. BRING IT! really helped me with soccer, making new friends, and focusing on school. I’m currently working as a home care aid. I just graduated from Central High School, and in the fall I will be attending UNH in Durham. My advice for the youth of Manchester is to stay out of trouble by finding a fun activity to do or team to join.
ANGE
I was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania. I lived in the refugee camp for eight years and life there was good. The thing that I miss the most would be climbing the mango trees and the games that I played as a kid. I moved to the United States in 2008 at the age of eight. The first school that I attended in Manchester was Webster Elementary School. After that I went to Hillside Middle School but later transferred to McLaughlin Middle School. For my high school years I attended Manchester Central High School. One of the challenges that I had to face here in Manchester was the language barrier. The positive experience that I had was having a program called ESL at school that helped students who didn't speak English. BRING IT! has been there for me since I was in middle school and the program helped me stay off the streets and also helped me focus on my education. Since high school, I have been focused on my studies. Right now I am a senior at the University of New Hampshire, double majoring in Social Work and Women's Studies and also minoring in International Affairs. Some advice that I would give to the kids of Manchester would be to stay out of trouble and focus on school, and surround yourself with the people who know what is best for you.
ENOCK
I was born in Kinshasa, Congo DRC. Life in my home country was mostly fun. As soon as I left my house, my friends were outside ready to play. You were free to be a kid and just have fun from morning until it got dark. We had times for cleaning and taking care of the house and each other. I gained the knowledge of what family means and the mindset of being grown. Family came first and we were taught to grow faster to take care of each other. The challenges were just trying to survive during the war and trying to find a way to a safe place. I was 9 when I moved to the U.S. I attended Northwest Elementary School, Parkside Middle School, and then Hillside Middle School. For high school I went to Central High. In Manchester there are so many opportunities to do what you want for your future. You can learn a new language, or improve your skills in sport or the arts. A challenge would be being accepted for being from another country, but that fades really fast. BRING IT! felt like being back home. You had that same vibe of having fun with friends and family. It helped me improve my skills in education and become a leader for my generation. Since High school I went to Curry College, and left my mark there as a leader. I then transferred to Keene State College, where I am majoring in Computer Science, with a minor in dance. I would advise the youth in Manchester to be yourself and take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of you. Be a leader not a follower and you’ll be great.
MIKEL
I was born in Kinshasa, a city in The Democracy Republic of Congo. Being a developing country, there are fewer opportunities there than in the US. Poverty and war is inevitable in the country. These factors have had a detrimental effect on the health and overall well being of the population. However, the people are friendly, caring and family oriented. There’s a sense of community and togetherness among the people. I miss the food and the culture. One of the most challenging moments in my youth was at an early age when I was still in Congo. I worried for my future because of the lack of opportunities. I came to New Hampshire when I was 10 years old. In Manchester, the schools I went to were Beech Street, McLaughlin, and Central. Migrating to the US gave me a lot of hope. I was fortunate to play soccer for the US U-15 and U-17 Youth National Teams. It was an amazing experience, which allowed me to play the game I love and travel around the world. It taught me that I could accomplish anything through hard work and discipline. BRING IT! gave me a sense of belonging. I felt as if I was part of a large diverse community. It provided an environment where I felt free to express myself and learn from those around me. It helped me with my academics as it provided homework help. I also benefited from all the conversations I had with the mentors from City Year. I attended the University of Vermont and graduated in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administrations. I am currently working in the Aerospace and Defense industry as a buyer. I am also pursuing my masters degree in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management. If I could give advice to the youth of Manchester, I would say to sacrifice now so you can enjoy later. Work hard now for what you want to accomplish in life. There are no limitations to what you can accomplish. You must be disciplined and learn to say no to things that are a distraction. Being smart is cool, so take your school work seriously.
SAMMY
I was born in Congo. In the Congo it was a blast. Everyone was friendly and was trying to make their way and that specific energy is what I miss. I was 8 when I came to the US. I attended Beech Street, Wilson, McLaughlin, and am now at Central High School. Adapting to American society was definitely the hardest part. Not having what everybody else had was saddening, but learning a new language and making new friends from different cultures was fun. BRING IT! connected me with other kids who had similar experiences as I did, and through education and soccer, we bonded. The advice I have for kids in Manchester is to be kind and supportive towards one another. Everybody is fighting a different challenge everyday, so making friends who are there for you and who will be honest with you is definitely a must.
NITANGA
I was born in Rwanda, but was raised in Tanzania. On a typical day I would wake up and go to school. When school was over, I would hangout with friends, and help out with house chores. I was involved in many local youth games. We would organize soccer tournament for local teams. I really enjoyed my youth, However everything wasn’t positive. Many youth suffer there. There were no organizations to help those in need. Fortunately, there are many positive youth experiences here. When I came to the US at 14 years old, I attended Central High School. I participated in many different youth organizations and played soccer for school and local soccer clubs. At BRING IT! I was able to get involved more and met some wonderful people. Everyone was very helpful and I attended college because of Jodi Harper. Before, I had no plans to go to college. Since I graduated from college, I started working for SNHAHEC, and some youth outreach. My advice to the youth is to stay out of trouble. The streets is not a place for them. They have all the opportunities and resources to be successful. It would hurt me to see them not taking advantage of what’s available for them.
GLAUDI
I was born in Mwisa, Tanzania. Life in Africa was fun because we went to school for 4 hours and had the rest of the day to play. I had tons of friends and it was always sunny. We played soccer everyday all year long. There were many challenges I had in Africa. It was hard to get a good education living in a refugee camp because your teachers could leave one day and not come back. Most of the time we were being moved to different cities because the camps were being shut down. The positives were that I learned a lot of traits such as farming, hunting, and how to build brick houses from scratch. I moved to the US when I was 8 years old. I attended Beech Street School as a 3rd grader. The challenge in America was the language because when I moved here I couldn’t speak English. It was hard to talk to my teachers and make friends. The weather was challenging, especially coming here in November when it’s fall and it’s colder than it ever was in Africa. The positive was that I had a better opportunity for education here in the United States than in Africa. BRING IT! gave me the opportunity to learn English, make friendships that are still strong to this day, and be able to get help with my homework. Also, it gave me a place to play the sport I love the most (soccer). I graduated high school in 2018, and now am a Junior at Keene State College. I am studying Occupational Safety and Health. My advice to kids in Manchester is that we all know the struggles our parents went through to bring us here to America. Let’s not disappoint them by not getting a good education. We should all strive to be able to provide for our parents and give our children a better life than we had ourselves.
SEVDA
My name is Sevda. I was born in Russia, but I am Turkish. Life in Russia was not easy for my family and I. The main thing we had there was a farm, which was the only way to make money. Some positive experiences from my youth in Russia were that the Turkish communities there are very caring of one another, and they help each other stay safe. Challenges remain within the school systems, and only the ones who have money can go to college. Not everyone has an opportunity to grow there, even if one is the number one student there. I was only 10 years old when I came to the USA, which means most of my childhood was spent here. The schools I attended in New Hampshire were Webster, Beech Street, McLaughlin, Central, and ultimately, Saint Anselm College. The challenges in America are that my community has been very much isolated from one another. Even though they have all the opportunity to grow in an educational aspect, they lack the sense of having that Turkish community that I was brought up. BRING IT! had a great impact on my life. I grew up knowing I wanted to do something in the health field and the program was able to connect me to other people with the same interests and goals. It taught me good life lessons that I will carry for the rest of my life, as well as many great friendships that I treasure. It was not only an after school program to keep ourselves busy, but it was a very friendly, welcoming, and provided educational experience that I am very thankful for. Since high school, I have graduated from Saint Anselm College with a Bachelors Degree in Biology and Psychology. I have gotten married and moved to Kentucky. I now have an amazing 10 month old son. I recently worked as a Behavioral Therapist with Autistic Children, and now I am a substitute teacher and balancing that out with Optometry Tech. The best advice I can give the kids of Manchester is to please not waste your time just because you are kids. Start at a younger age and you will be very successful later in life. Start looking into programs if you are not sure of what to do later in life. Start building your community. You are never too young to start thinking about your future.
SANJAY
I was born and raised in a refugee camp of a small Himalayan country of Nepal. I spent more than half of my life living in a caliginous camp. I faced many bitter experiences in my childhood. My life was full of sadness and pessimism. Even with all the unbearable pain and limited resources, most people in the camp still managed to put smiles on their faces. I definitely miss my friends whom I shared my happiness and sorrows with. Those dark, unforgettable days will always haunt me, yet they filled me with the confidence and ambition to succeed in the future. From a refugee of having no international protection to becoming a citizen of the great nation of the U.S has been a memorable journey for me. In 2008, at the age of 10, my family was resettled in Manchester, NH through the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Coming to this country has changed my life physically, emotionally, and intellectually. New places, new people, and new experiences can bring joy and happiness into one’s life. On the other hand, profoundly different cultural values can be hard to understand and comprehend. For me, it was very difficult managing a new language, strange people, large schools, curious food, and a radically different culture. Despite these challenges, I started my schooling at Webster Elementary School, then Hillside Middle School, Parkside Middle school, and graduated high school from Manchester West High. During this journey, I was fortunate enough to have an after school program like BRING IT!, which empowered and gave me an opportunity to excel in both sports and academics. At BRING IT, it felt like home. At times of loneliness due to the language barrier, it provided me with new friends through soccer, tutors during challenging schoolwork, freedom to explore my emotions through drawing and painting, and hope to be a successful being. The wonderful leaders and mentors really took care of us like a family. They understood our stories and challenging backgrounds and wanted us to succeed in life. Due to their excellent guidance and help, it paved the way for us to continue higher education, stay off the streets, and be a good human being. With their help, I recently graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training. Moving forward, I plan to further my education in the healthcare profession and assist those in need. Today, I am proud and thankful to say I am a BRING IT alumni.