My name is Gerardine. I am 17 years old, and I live in Dayton Ohio but I am from Tanzania. As for me now thinking about it now that I am about to go college not just that it has always been my dream to get an education and with the opportunity, I had from coming here to the United States from Africa. I have been working hard from learning the language and other challenging things that got me here today and made me who I am. I remember when I first went to school I did not know or understand anything that was said to me but with the help of a classmate whose also parents were from Africa she understood a little of the language and she helped me go around and talk to people. When I think about it now, it is just like I was in the movies. As years pass, I was getting used to the language and could speak for myself and also could help other newcomers. I just always love helping others.
As I got older, I started getting bullied and students always liked to pick on me. They thought because I was different and was not from here I could not stand up for myself. No matter what I did they judged me, and made fun of how I talked and dressed. If I could go back and say something to them it would be “that we are all not the same that we all have a different story to tell” and that no one should be judged by anyone. Instead we should learn from each other differently. Being bullied really got me unfocused and I did not like going to school. I would sometimes fake sick so that I won’t go to school, I was so unfocused that I did not learn anything, and my grades began to lower. They were so low I had to go to a meeting with my parents and they reminded me why I am here and that if I need to be successful I need to stand up and use the bully as my motivation.
