Constance Mwamba arrived from Africa six years ago as a refugee in Arizona. She didn’t speak a work of English, and now, she’s fluent on it.
Mwamba, 18, aspires to become a surgeon. She wants to make use of her multilingual skills as she travels the world, helping people in need, much like the doctors at the refugee camp she and her family lived in for about a decade after fleeing the violence - plagued Democratic Republic of the Congo.
She credits her English - language development teacher and the PBS Kids television shows with helping her gain proficiency by the end of her seventh - grade year.
Mwamba's senior student counselor, Teresa Toro, is extremely proud of her. “In my 10 years as a high school counselor, Constance is one of the few students who has impressed me with her academic resiliency, tenacity and achievements, ” said Toro.
“Being recently immigrated to the United States has come with its challenges, but because of her personal assets and family support, (Constance) has risen above those challenges and is planning for a promising future. ”
Mwamba encourages students like herself to strive to overcome challenges. “It is not a good idea to give up, because you never know what you can accomplish once you break that barrier between you and what you see as impossible. ”
SOURCE: Tucson. com