At the age of twelve, my life was about to change forever. My family was accepted as refugees and we were moving to the United States. This experience made me a stronger person, one that is ready for any challenge set before me. The environment we were placed in and the struggles my parents, my siblings, and I faced on a daily basis seemed like a mountain that was impossible to climb. The culture and the way we went about our day to day lives was much more different than in The Congo. Adapting and learning a new way of life, while not speaking the English, was the most stressful experience that our family had to face. After only being in the US for a couple of months, my parents started working and spent many hours away from the apartment. After school, I had to pick up my two younger brothers from day care, then meet my two sisters at the bus stop to bring them home. As the oldest, I was expected to cook dinner and keep my siblings safe. I was often so exhausted that all I wanted to do was sleep. However, every day, I would get up and do the same routine, knowing that my parents needed me to do my part for my family. The experience I had at school was another challenge that I grew from. Not knowing English, and being thrown into my 7th grade classroom with the rest of the kids, made my head spin. I could not understand anything the teacher was saying. The French to English dictionary became my best friend. Without a working vocabulary, it was impossible to integrate myself into the community, but day by day I was able to understand more and soon enough I was making friends. As my siblings and I became more fluent in English, our lives got easier, however, my parents continued to struggle. They were working jobs where they were not able to practice their English and therefore, continue to need my assistance. Although I have many more responsibilities than the typical teenager, I continue to help my parents knowing they have it much worse than I do. Witnessing the hardships my parents went through, instilled in me a great respect and love for them. Looking back, I can say the experience of moving to the US, becoming bilingual and obtaining a good education, has made me resilient, independent and self-confident. I know that I can figure things out and also ask for help when I need to. I know that through education, I can avoid the struggles that my parents faced. Knowing this, I work hard at school, keep a positive attitude and continue to be helpful to my family in any way I can. I would not say it has made me become a better person; but it has made me more of who I really am, which is better.

Jamy Mavoungou is a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I am the oldest of five siblings and, I am a first-generation college student with a major in nursing. At the age of twelve, my life was about to change forever. My family was accepted as refugees and we were moving to the United States. This experience made me a stronger person, one that is ready for any challenge set before me. The environment we were placed in and the struggles my parents, my siblings, and I faced daily seemed like a mountain that was impossible to climb. The culture and the way we went about our day-to-day lives were much more different than in The Congo. The most stressful event that our family had to go through was adjusting to and learning a new way of life while not speaking English. The experience I had at school was another challenge that I grew from. Not knowing English, and being thrown into my 7th-grade classroom with the rest of the kids, made my head spin. I could not understand anything the teacher was saying. The French to English dictionary became my best friend. Without a working vocabulary, it was impossible to integrate me into the community, but day by day I was able to understand more, and soon enough I was making friends. As my siblings and I became more fluent in English, our lives got easier, however, my parents continued to struggle. Looking back, I can say the experience of moving to the US, becoming bilingual, and obtaining a good education, has made me resilient, independent, and self-confident. I know that through education, I can avoid the struggles that my parents faced. Knowing this, I work hard at school, keep a positive attitude and continue to be helpful to my family in any way I can. I intend to work hard to obtain my degree, a good profession, and financial stability to support myself and my parents. They struggled and continue to fight for my education as well as for caring for my five siblings. Witnessing my parents' sacrifices in getting us here, and giving up everything they had in Congo, so my siblings and I have a better education and opportunities, is priceless. I established in myself deep regard and affection for them. Graduating from college and being a nurse is the best I can give back to my parents for sacrificing their lives and education so that I could succeed and become someone they could never be. I am grateful to be here furthering my education and receiving possibilities that my cousins and friends in Congo do not have.