Success Stories
We celebrate every forward momentum our students achieve. Our success is owned by students.
Siad Haji has been a member of the BRING IT! family for more than 10 years. His remarkable journey began in a refugee camp in Kenya nearly 20 years ago. Born to Somalian parents, his family fled war in the East African nation and made a weeks long voyage to safety. Upon relocating to New Hampshire, Siad thrived in athletics from the start. Filled with talent, Siad took advantage of his time at BRING IT!, consistently outperforming students much older than him. As skilled as he was, what stood out about him was his humbleness and leadership skills. And while he was hands down the best player in every game he participated in, he never had a problem taking the back seat and allowing others their opportunity. After being selected second overall in the 2019 MLS Super Draft, Siad remembered where it all began. "Thanks to BRING IT! for paving the way in my journey. I can remember being so little with zero direction, kicking the soccer ball at Beech Street and Hillside. It was definitely my favorite place to go on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.”
SIMFORA BANGASIMBO: Growing up in a refugee camp in Tanzania, East Africa, Simfora always dreamed of a better future. When her family’s name was finally on the acceptance list to move to the United States, a world of new opportunities was at her fingertips. Upon landing in the States, the English language was completely foreign to her. Now, she speaks 3 languages. At BRING IT!, if you ever needed to find her, you could bet she would be in our homework room, working hard on her studies. For Simfora, BRING IT! provided an opportunity for her to be a kid. At home, as the eldest daughter, culturally she was tasked with many roles and responsibilities far beyond her age. At BRING I!T she could finally focus on herself. Raised in a family where academics always comes first, she would always seek out help when needed, and go the extra lengths to assure her work was top notch. After graduating high school, she was accepted into her dream school, The University of New Hampshire. Her first time away from her family, she thrived on her own, earning a spot on the Dean’s List. As impressive as earning such an honor is, she still finds time to engage in extracurricular activities. She is a prominent member of UNH’s Black Student Union, and is constantly participating in events to raise awareness about social injustice. Now a junior, she dreams of studying abroad during her senior year. Knowing Simfora, it is a safe bet that we will hear about her successes in the future, regardless of which continent she is on.
“For me, BRING IT! was a place where I went to hangout and have fun with my friends but also get help with school work. I loved BRING IT! because I was surrounded by people like me and got to act like a child for a few hours. This is why I like coming back to visit when I’m home on break.”
Mikel GUY KABALA: Guy Kabala is one of our earliest members of BRING IT!. Moving to the United States from The Democratic Republic of Congo, he first enrolled at Beech Street School. When BRING IT! first began, Guy was sure to take advantage of the opportunity. With a passion for soccer, it was evident that he was not only skilled, but more importantly, hard working and extremely humble. As well as Guy performed with his peers at BRING IT!, it was the extra work he put in on his own that helped lead him to success. Driving through downtown Manchester, you could always find Guy at a local park, individually working on his craft. While his peers were sleeping in, Guy was the one waking up early, and going to a local gym at 6am before his classes. What is even more impressive, is that as great of a player that he was, his academics and citizenship have always been on the same level. Now speaking multiple languages fluently, Guy enrolled in high-level courses during high school. He achieved impressive marks while also competing in one of the highest levels of club soccer in the nation. At BRING IT!, Guy was the type of student who understood that academics came first. While his friends were playing soccer, Guy would never hesitate to remove himself from a game if he knew he had schoolwork to complete. Even with all his successes, you would never know it by speaking with him. His humility is one of his greatest traits. After graduation, he moved on to Providence College before finding a permanent spot at The University of Vermont. Guy was chosen as captain of their men’s soccer team, and will graduate in the spring of 2019. We are extremely proud of the young man Guy has become, and will continue to be.