At The Crossroads #1: Abdirizaq’s Story

As a kid in Kenya, every day was spent in the same routine: wake up, go to school, play outside, come home, shower, eat, play outside again, go to bed and then repeat. I lived with my mom, twin sister, and little brother after my dad died. My mom worked very hard at a salon, but she was not paid all the time and needed to make enough money to raise 3 kids on her own. We lived in a community that helped take care of each other, so my mom was not really alone raising us. Even though I did the same stuff every day, my weekends were fun because that was when I got to play soccer. Soccer is something that would continue to help me even after coming to the United States. Since coming to Kenya, my family would have to travel to interviews every month or two for a few years. Once we began to finish the process, we had to travel more often. We came to the United States as a family in February 2016.

When we first came to the United States, I was in shock of many of the differences between the US and Kenya. My English was good, so that was not something I needed to start learning, but I was still surprised by the new culture. We did not have a car and we came during the winter, so the weather was bad. A lot of my culture shock came once I started in school. Technology is less available in Kenya and more expensive. In the United States, everyone has an iPhone and uses it all the time, even in school. There is a big difference between school in the US and in Kenya. The clothing is different, and I was shocked by how the students acted toward teachers. In Kenya, students couldn’t do anything students do here because they would be punished.

“Students have a ton of freedom in school to do and say what they want, and that is something I had to learn once I entered school. Even though my English was good, I still needed to learn the ways people my age acted with each other and what is considered right and wrong.”

Students have a ton of freedom in school to do and say what they want, and that is something I had to learn once I entered school. Even though my English was good, I still needed to learn the ways people my age acted with each other and what is considered right and wrong. I also had a thicker accent, and didn’t want to stick out. Both of these lead to me being quiet and not being social with my new peers. Eventually, I was able to become more comfortable socially and made many friends. What helped me become most comfortable in high school with the culture and other students was playing on the soccer team. I had played soccer for years in Kenya, and in Columbus I was able to play on my school team with a group of guys my age. The team was made up of guys from many different countries, and that helped me feel more comfortable as someone new to the United States. Soccer gave me my community in Columbus, helping me learn the unwritten rules of being in high school and interacting with other teenagers. I did well and school and succeeded at soccer, placing in the state finals. I graduated high school in 2017.

Today, I go to Columbus State and study Information Technology. My day is split between school, work, and continuing to play soccer. Working in IT means that I can work from anywhere, so when I graduate I want to work as an IT specialist so I can travel. My time in the United States has taught me that I can be whatever I want to be if I put in the work. I am provided choices and options for my future if I am willing to work. In Africa, I know that this is typically not the same. People in Africa may not be able to think about what comes next after they finish school because there isn’t really a next step. If I was not able to come to the United States and receive these opportunities, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I want. I would be stuck in lower-level jobs with no real stability or chance to break through and move up financially. Bringing families here means their children have better opportunities.