Ishmael's Journey Back To America
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MY STORY AND REASONS WHY I WANT TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES
By: Ishmael Sheriff.
It is true that each and every one of us has a story to tell, some people story might be a happy and joyous one while other might not be happy and joyous, however, here is my own story which continues to date.
My name is Ishmael Sheriff and I am presently living in Freetown City, Sierra Leone, West Africa. I have two younger siblings whose names are Idrissa and Fudia; Idrissa is the youngest and I am the oldest. My mother’s name is Adama Manseray and my father’s name is Abdul Sheriff. Unfortunately, my father died when I was only 8 years old and ever since I was brought up by my grandmothers and my mother who was working so hard to provide me with the basic necessities of life. My mother was a petty trader and as a single parents after my father past away, she worked so hard to send me and my younger siblings to school so that we will get an education. Honestly, it was very hard, rough and tough for my mother to provide for the three of us because she had no extra help from anyone. Despite all this, my mother always make sure that we didn’t go a day without food and she always did her very best to put smiles on our faces. My mother worked adamant and resiliently to send me to school. My mother used to say to me always that I am her future; I am her hope and am the one to bring positive changes into our family. Since I was at elementary school, I saw the pain and the struggle which my mom was going through. Therefore, I decided and made a concrete determination in my heart that I want to be a better person in life and that I I want to be the one to change the story of my family. So I made up my mind that no matter what, no matter hard the storm and the rough edges of life hit me down I will not give up, instead I will keep on pressing till I get to my destination.
When I was at elementary school, I used to help my mother after school and during the holidays to sell at the markets just to make ends meet. Nevertheless, that I was selling after school, I worked so to keep my grades high. Throughout my years in Junior Secondary school (Bishop Johnson Memorial Junior School), I was constantly holding the first position in my school and even the entire school. In other words, I was a valedictorian. When I sat to the public examination which is called the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which qualifies a student to get into senior high school, I also got the best results in my entire school; so I was fortunate to gain admission into one of the best boys school in Freetown which is called the Saint Edward’s Senior Secondary School (Senior High school). In 2011 which was my year at the school, I won a very rigorous scholarship program founded and sponsored by the U.S Department of States which is called the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program(YES).My mother at that time was very happy and I believe that was here happiest time in her life. My mom said that it was a dream come true and that God had answered her prayers. I got the opportunity alongside with four other students from different schools around the country to live in the U.S for one academic year as foreign exchange students. While I was in the U.S, I attended the Bastrop High School in Texas. In addition, I also did extremely well in y subjects throughout the academic year, despite that some of the subjects were strange and new to me; however, I I managed to adjusted into the new education system quickly.
In 2012 that was after the tenure of my exchange program, I returned home and honestly it was hard to readjusted back. I faced numerous difficulties but with the encouragement and profound words of my mother I was able to overcome all those difficulties and challenges. Moreover, I also continued my schooling. In 2013 I also won a Digital Storytelling workshop program which was held in Ghana. I flew to Ghana and I stayed there for two weeks. In May 27th, 2013, after the workshop had finished I returned home, when I returned home I was informed that my mom has being very sick and that she had been admitted into the government hospital; three days later my beloved mom died. That was the very worst day my life, there are no words which I can use to describe the kind of my pain I felt that day. The pain I felt that day crawl down to the very bottom of my heart and soul; I was consumed completely by grief. In my life in this world of ours I have learned that there are two types of mothers, there are those mothers who will suffer to raise up their children and live to rip the benefits, live to enjoy the happy times and there are those mothers who will suffer and labor to raise up their children and never live to rip the benefits, never live to enjoy the happy times. Unfortunately, my mother fell into the categories of those mothers who will never life to enjoy the happy times. The death of my mom shocks me and up till now I cannot go a day without thinking about my mother because she was my soul companion. After the death of my mother my world completely turn upside down and life became extremely difficult and tough for me more than ever, things stated going from bad to worst.
After the death of my mother I almost quit school because I did not have anyone to responsible for me and my siblings. My two younger siblings went to go lived with our grandma who is very poor too and I went on to lived with my one of my friends. I started doing hard labor jobs and even selling just to responsible for myself and siblings. I worked so hard to send myself to school and my younger siblings too with the little help of my grandma; no family member took any responsibility. I struggle for everything in my life and some days I have to go without even food. No thing in my life has been easy. There are times that I feel like given up but I anytime I do I will just keep on to the promise of God and think about all the suffering and sacrificed which my mom did for me. When I feel lonely and very depress sometimes I wish that my mother is with me to comfort me like she used to. There are times that I feel very, very depress that I just feel like talking to someone but each time I turn around I couldn’t see anyone to talk to. Oh! How I wish you could see the cold tears that are running my eyes right now has I am writing some of my past to you now. There are many things that I have learnt in this life and one of them is that life is not easy and that life will never give you what you deserve or what you want except you take it.
Honestly, I have little hopes of achieving my dreams here because I do not have anyone to pay for my college tuition fees that is why I want to go to the U.S so that I will pursue my education to the highest level possible and build a better life not just for myself but also for my younger siblings, grandma and for my unborn generation because all of them look up to me. In my entire family no one has ever get this far in education not to talk about anyone getting into a college; I believe that I will be the first to get into a college and get a degree just as I have been the first one to ever travel out of our country. Therefore, I believe that if I go to the U.S I will be able to achieve my dreams and hopes and that I will open the door of happiness to my family. I believe that if I do not be the change, the miracle then life will continue to be like this for my younger siblings and that the tribulation of my life will never end. As there are two types of people in life, those who complain and roam around there difficulties and problems and those who stop complaining, face there difficulties and problems. I have chosen to face my difficulties and find all necessary ways to solve them. I believe that my destiny is right in front of me and I know that I am almost there. I know it going to be a long journey, it going to be a tough fight but am ready for it. I know that my journey to success still continues.
By: Ishmael Sheriff.
It is true that each and every one of us has a story to tell, some people story might be a happy and joyous one while other might not be happy and joyous, however, here is my own story which continues to date.
My name is Ishmael Sheriff and I am presently living in Freetown City, Sierra Leone, West Africa. I have two younger siblings whose names are Idrissa and Fudia; Idrissa is the youngest and I am the oldest. My mother’s name is Adama Manseray and my father’s name is Abdul Sheriff. Unfortunately, my father died when I was only 8 years old and ever since I was brought up by my grandmothers and my mother who was working so hard to provide me with the basic necessities of life. My mother was a petty trader and as a single parents after my father past away, she worked so hard to send me and my younger siblings to school so that we will get an education. Honestly, it was very hard, rough and tough for my mother to provide for the three of us because she had no extra help from anyone. Despite all this, my mother always make sure that we didn’t go a day without food and she always did her very best to put smiles on our faces. My mother worked adamant and resiliently to send me to school. My mother used to say to me always that I am her future; I am her hope and am the one to bring positive changes into our family. Since I was at elementary school, I saw the pain and the struggle which my mom was going through. Therefore, I decided and made a concrete determination in my heart that I want to be a better person in life and that I I want to be the one to change the story of my family. So I made up my mind that no matter what, no matter hard the storm and the rough edges of life hit me down I will not give up, instead I will keep on pressing till I get to my destination.
When I was at elementary school, I used to help my mother after school and during the holidays to sell at the markets just to make ends meet. Nevertheless, that I was selling after school, I worked so to keep my grades high. Throughout my years in Junior Secondary school (Bishop Johnson Memorial Junior School), I was constantly holding the first position in my school and even the entire school. In other words, I was a valedictorian. When I sat to the public examination which is called the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which qualifies a student to get into senior high school, I also got the best results in my entire school; so I was fortunate to gain admission into one of the best boys school in Freetown which is called the Saint Edward’s Senior Secondary School (Senior High school). In 2011 which was my year at the school, I won a very rigorous scholarship program founded and sponsored by the U.S Department of States which is called the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program(YES).My mother at that time was very happy and I believe that was here happiest time in her life. My mom said that it was a dream come true and that God had answered her prayers. I got the opportunity alongside with four other students from different schools around the country to live in the U.S for one academic year as foreign exchange students. While I was in the U.S, I attended the Bastrop High School in Texas. In addition, I also did extremely well in y subjects throughout the academic year, despite that some of the subjects were strange and new to me; however, I I managed to adjusted into the new education system quickly.
In 2012 that was after the tenure of my exchange program, I returned home and honestly it was hard to readjusted back. I faced numerous difficulties but with the encouragement and profound words of my mother I was able to overcome all those difficulties and challenges. Moreover, I also continued my schooling. In 2013 I also won a Digital Storytelling workshop program which was held in Ghana. I flew to Ghana and I stayed there for two weeks. In May 27th, 2013, after the workshop had finished I returned home, when I returned home I was informed that my mom has being very sick and that she had been admitted into the government hospital; three days later my beloved mom died. That was the very worst day my life, there are no words which I can use to describe the kind of my pain I felt that day. The pain I felt that day crawl down to the very bottom of my heart and soul; I was consumed completely by grief. In my life in this world of ours I have learned that there are two types of mothers, there are those mothers who will suffer to raise up their children and live to rip the benefits, live to enjoy the happy times and there are those mothers who will suffer and labor to raise up their children and never live to rip the benefits, never live to enjoy the happy times. Unfortunately, my mother fell into the categories of those mothers who will never life to enjoy the happy times. The death of my mom shocks me and up till now I cannot go a day without thinking about my mother because she was my soul companion. After the death of my mother my world completely turn upside down and life became extremely difficult and tough for me more than ever, things stated going from bad to worst.
After the death of my mother I almost quit school because I did not have anyone to responsible for me and my siblings. My two younger siblings went to go lived with our grandma who is very poor too and I went on to lived with my one of my friends. I started doing hard labor jobs and even selling just to responsible for myself and siblings. I worked so hard to send myself to school and my younger siblings too with the little help of my grandma; no family member took any responsibility. I struggle for everything in my life and some days I have to go without even food. No thing in my life has been easy. There are times that I feel like given up but I anytime I do I will just keep on to the promise of God and think about all the suffering and sacrificed which my mom did for me. When I feel lonely and very depress sometimes I wish that my mother is with me to comfort me like she used to. There are times that I feel very, very depress that I just feel like talking to someone but each time I turn around I couldn’t see anyone to talk to. Oh! How I wish you could see the cold tears that are running my eyes right now has I am writing some of my past to you now. There are many things that I have learnt in this life and one of them is that life is not easy and that life will never give you what you deserve or what you want except you take it.
Honestly, I have little hopes of achieving my dreams here because I do not have anyone to pay for my college tuition fees that is why I want to go to the U.S so that I will pursue my education to the highest level possible and build a better life not just for myself but also for my younger siblings, grandma and for my unborn generation because all of them look up to me. In my entire family no one has ever get this far in education not to talk about anyone getting into a college; I believe that I will be the first to get into a college and get a degree just as I have been the first one to ever travel out of our country. Therefore, I believe that if I go to the U.S I will be able to achieve my dreams and hopes and that I will open the door of happiness to my family. I believe that if I do not be the change, the miracle then life will continue to be like this for my younger siblings and that the tribulation of my life will never end. As there are two types of people in life, those who complain and roam around there difficulties and problems and those who stop complaining, face there difficulties and problems. I have chosen to face my difficulties and find all necessary ways to solve them. I believe that my destiny is right in front of me and I know that I am almost there. I know it going to be a long journey, it going to be a tough fight but am ready for it. I know that my journey to success still continues.
Organizer and beneficiary
Thomas & Jamie Murray
Organizer
Coppell, TX
Thomas Murray
Beneficiary