[Music]
today I’ll tell you about a refugee it
is not the worst story it is not a
unique story it is the story of how a 16
year refugee with no English no family
no friends end up earning a master’s
degree at American University this is my
story
I was born and raised in the Democratic
Republic of Congo when I turned 16 the
country was a war
many families were randomly target as
the enemies of the regime one day he was
my family to scape the police
I hid on a ship that was dug in my
seaport city I only meant to hurt for a
couple hours by than my ship sailed
after a month-long journey across the
Atlantic the ship said that in New
Orleans meanwhile back in the Congo
my father and my a oh brother when
murder in the United States I was a
refugee with no purpose and soon after I
was taken into custody and sent into
detention in Pennsylvania with the minor
children who like myself who had arrived
in the United States and accompanied by
by by in adults I was taken into court
but because I didn’t speak any English I
had no idea what’s happening only years
later alone that my request for an
asylum had been refused I took classes
where I was living in detention center
there was a teacher who could pronounce
my name Kangana
Tarragona she told me that I’ll be known
as a journey from Adina
I miss the international
exposed the condition that we were
living in the place and the federal
government ordered its clothes because I
was minor with no family no friends I
was sent to a foster care in
Philadelphia the only bright spot of my
life during that period where the phone
conversation I had with my mother back
in Congo talking to her kept me hopeful
that one day I’ll be back go home and
they’d be with her again but when I aged
out of a first foster care our sense to
immigrant group or home in New York
Pennsylvania was living there I receive
a devastating news that my mother had
died when she died I wanted to die too
a social worker sorry
a social worker contact their local
psychologist dr. Elizabeth that people
change my life the face of my method she
asked me if my real name was Johnny
I said no it was Ken Lana and she said
never to allow anyone to call you Johnny
again at the moment study for change
give me my density back as I got to know
doctor River and husband that Alvin
River there so a lights inside of me
that took me in the home and he adapts
me
and they became my parent adoption made
me feel included the feeling I had not
heard since fleeing Congo they provided
educational opportunities and I fell in
love with the school I graduated
valedictorian of my high school as my
English improved they saw my potential
and they supported me to continue my
education they encouraged me I attended
York College of Pennsylvania where I
received a Bachelor in international
relations and they supported my desire
to earn my master’s degree but because I
was refusing Asylum here in the United
States I was not qualified for grant
students loan or any financial aid my
mother dr. Elizabeth over used her
savings and a 2-car grant loans to pay
for my education my only job was to do
well and I took that very seriously I
put in extra time spending my summer and
a winter break getting a head start on
my books for my upcoming semester
reading them three and four times just
to understand them
I still wake an eye studying reading and
writing papers by sticking my feet in
say the buckets for the ice bucket just
to be awake the method I highly
discourage you to use it’s painful in
grad school our commute between DC and
Pennsylvania driving 200 miles every
three weeks every three days or four
days sometimes just to save money my
aunt and uncle’s Laurie and Pat Barry
who lives in California
call me every drive back home just to
keep me awake and last month I graduated
with my master’s degree from a School of
International Service here at American
University
[Applause]
but I all these much accomplishment to
my mother dr. Elizabeth River she saw a
light inside of me in the shear allowed
to Shan my parent believed that wasting
a human life is a tragedy in my country
the Congo there are a hundred thousand
orphans of a war whose lives have been
wasted they have been exploited as a
charge soldiers and sex slaves the lucky
ones live on the streets many of them
stuff my parents love in a compassion
inspired me to create the Mary Muhammad
Iyer foundation I am walking now to
build an orphanage for these children to
give them what ours give him security
education and most of all love so that
daylight we also shine where you touch
by my story were you inspired but what
doctor doctors refer and and often
Elizabeth refer and Alfred did for me I
hope you are here’s my challenge to you
see each refugees who comes to this
country for the promise that the whole
city lights in each one of them pay
forward what you have been given
just do what you can through a level to
help one human being to become who she
or he was meant to be thank you
[Applause]
today I’ll tell you about a refugee it
is not the worst story it is not a
unique story it is the story of how a 16
year refugee with no English no family
no friends end up earning a master’s
degree at American University this is my
story
I was born and raised in the Democratic
Republic of Congo when I turned 16 the
country was a war
many families were randomly target as
the enemies of the regime one day he was
my family to scape the police
I hid on a ship that was dug in my
seaport city I only meant to hurt for a
couple hours by than my ship sailed
after a month-long journey across the
Atlantic the ship said that in New
Orleans meanwhile back in the Congo
my father and my a oh brother when
murder in the United States I was a
refugee with no purpose and soon after I
was taken into custody and sent into
detention in Pennsylvania with the minor
children who like myself who had arrived
in the United States and accompanied by
by by in adults I was taken into court
but because I didn’t speak any English I
had no idea what’s happening only years
later alone that my request for an
asylum had been refused I took classes
where I was living in detention center
there was a teacher who could pronounce
my name Kangana
Tarragona she told me that I’ll be known
as a journey from Adina
I miss the international
exposed the condition that we were
living in the place and the federal
government ordered its clothes because I
was minor with no family no friends I
was sent to a foster care in
Philadelphia the only bright spot of my
life during that period where the phone
conversation I had with my mother back
in Congo talking to her kept me hopeful
that one day I’ll be back go home and
they’d be with her again but when I aged
out of a first foster care our sense to
immigrant group or home in New York
Pennsylvania was living there I receive
a devastating news that my mother had
died when she died I wanted to die too
a social worker sorry
a social worker contact their local
psychologist dr. Elizabeth that people
change my life the face of my method she
asked me if my real name was Johnny
I said no it was Ken Lana and she said
never to allow anyone to call you Johnny
again at the moment study for change
give me my density back as I got to know
doctor River and husband that Alvin
River there so a lights inside of me
that took me in the home and he adapts
me
and they became my parent adoption made
me feel included the feeling I had not
heard since fleeing Congo they provided
educational opportunities and I fell in
love with the school I graduated
valedictorian of my high school as my
English improved they saw my potential
and they supported me to continue my
education they encouraged me I attended
York College of Pennsylvania where I
received a Bachelor in international
relations and they supported my desire
to earn my master’s degree but because I
was refusing Asylum here in the United
States I was not qualified for grant
students loan or any financial aid my
mother dr. Elizabeth over used her
savings and a 2-car grant loans to pay
for my education my only job was to do
well and I took that very seriously I
put in extra time spending my summer and
a winter break getting a head start on
my books for my upcoming semester
reading them three and four times just
to understand them
I still wake an eye studying reading and
writing papers by sticking my feet in
say the buckets for the ice bucket just
to be awake the method I highly
discourage you to use it’s painful in
grad school our commute between DC and
Pennsylvania driving 200 miles every
three weeks every three days or four
days sometimes just to save money my
aunt and uncle’s Laurie and Pat Barry
who lives in California
call me every drive back home just to
keep me awake and last month I graduated
with my master’s degree from a School of
International Service here at American
University
[Applause]
but I all these much accomplishment to
my mother dr. Elizabeth River she saw a
light inside of me in the shear allowed
to Shan my parent believed that wasting
a human life is a tragedy in my country
the Congo there are a hundred thousand
orphans of a war whose lives have been
wasted they have been exploited as a
charge soldiers and sex slaves the lucky
ones live on the streets many of them
stuff my parents love in a compassion
inspired me to create the Mary Muhammad
Iyer foundation I am walking now to
build an orphanage for these children to
give them what ours give him security
education and most of all love so that
daylight we also shine where you touch
by my story were you inspired but what
doctor doctors refer and and often
Elizabeth refer and Alfred did for me I
hope you are here’s my challenge to you
see each refugees who comes to this
country for the promise that the whole
city lights in each one of them pay
forward what you have been given
just do what you can through a level to
help one human being to become who she
or he was meant to be thank you
[Applause]
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