Education is KEY for a Promising Future

Art by Thinh Vu | VOX Stafff

By Kadija Hussein | VOX Staff

Tic-tock, tic-tock …on and on went the hands, as an anxious 11-year-old, I lay in bed staring at my watch. Isn’t it 7 a.m. yet? I wondered. I was eager for the day to begin, but not knowing what was ahead tied my stomach in knots.

I had been tossing and turning all night in the unfamiliar bedroom, wondering: Why doesn’t the rest of the world live like this? The wooden dresser filled with perfumes, the vase of flowers and the smooth, soft carpet. This was the “land of opportunity” everybody back home in Mombasa, Kenya talked about, where money would fall on the floor and dreams would fly by as birds. I was known as the lucky one to have the opportunity to come here. After two years of anticipating, I was finally in America.

My First Day of School
When I arrived at school, I was very happy. In my mind, school is the key to a great future. But when I took my first step into the big brick building, it felt more like a baby nursery than a school. The hallway walls were filled with cartoon drawings and letters of the alphabet. At my school in Kenya, we had maps and drawings of presidents on the wall. I thought maybe I was in the wrong place, until a lady tapped my shoulder and asked if I was Khadija Hussein. I nodded politely, and she asked me to come with her.

I felt safe as I walked through the cartoon-filled hallway. After a few steps, we turned a corner and went into the principal’s office. Certificates of achievement hung all over the peach colored walls, and a coffee table sat in the corner. Everything in the office reminded me of my old school in Kenya.
The major difference was back home I had gone to a private school, where wearing uniform was a must. Here I was dressed as an American teen.

Since I was used to taking 12 classes a day at my old school, I was shocked when the principal showed me my schedule of only four classes. I thought maybe she had mistaken me for another student—but decided not to ask because I was shy. The stranger was surprised at my wide-opened eyes. She asked no questions, though, perhaps assuming I didn’t speak English.

Then the principal led me to my first classroom. After hearing stories from my cousins about how horrible my first day in an American school was going to be, I have to say I felt a whole lot better when I saw an English as Second Language classroom full of newcomers just like me. I took a seat, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the shelves loaded with books. I have always been a fan of reading because reading gives you a world full of imagination where you can be whatever you want. As I sat there not moving a muscle, I studied my environment. This was not home, but it was my future.

When class was over, a student led me to my next class. I had no idea what kind of classes I was taking or even what they were called, but I knew whatever they were, it was time for me to get used to them.

“Here we are,” said John, my student escort. When I peered inside the classroom, it looked like chaos. “Are you sure that’s a class?” I asked, hoping he would say “no”.

The boy looked at me with a funny smile and said, “Yes, actually it’s your class.”

I figured my first day was not going to be my best day, but I was determined to at least make it a good one. Gathering my courage, I took the first step and walked in. I was nervous to look up because of all the eyeballs I was going to have to face, but to my surprise no one noticed me until the teacher saw me standing there.

The Big Difference
Hair and outfit-wise, I looked like an American teen in my new school. The one thing that made me distinctive was my accent. The teacher came and stood next to me and asked the class to give her its undivided attention. No one seemed to care. What rude kids, I thought, aren’t they scared to get whooped by the teacher? A minute later, after the teacher raised her voice, everybody settled down and faced me. She asked me to introduce myself. What was I supposed to say? Would they understand me? Would they laugh at me? I pretended not to understand her, hoping this would get me off the hook.

The teacher told me to sit next to an Indian girl and observe the class. I was shocked. Never in my life had I ever been to a noisy, loud, careless class where the teacher had no control over the students. I wanted to go back home to my normal school where education and respect were valued. In my classes back home, the children were as quiet as church mice. We were so eager to absorb as much knowledge as possible that the option of talking seldom crossed our minds. We had strict rules to follow because we were taught that a learning environment should be respected. We stayed in the same class all day except for the science course. I didn’t understand what type of learning facility this was, where the kids acted barbaric and the teachers were overwhelmed.

Home Sweet Home
When the last bell of the day rang, I was relieved. My fears had been confirmed: American schools and Kenyan schools were two planets apart. I had left a world where I had to show respect to grown ups and education was not taken lightly, for a world where the opposite was true. Back home, education was not free. People had to pay for tuition, transportation, books, food and uniforms. Because of that we understood knowledge is a key to our future and it opens up a world full of opportunities. I take full advantage of my education because I have seen all the hard work put into making sure I get a good education.

I took the bus home. When I got there I couldn’t wait to tell my cousins about my first day of school. It was sad to see Americans who have education for free take it for granted, especially since I know many people in Kenya who want it. So sadly that day I realized my point of view on education was not like everybody else’s and that’s something I can teach my friends here, even if I sound like a goody-goody. Hopefully someday everybody will believe in the power of knowledge and realize that education is the foundation of a decent future.

Khadija is a sophomore at Clarkston High.