After moving from Ethiopia to Washington, DC, Ebrahim Bonger, a graduating senior at Roosevelt STAY High School, struggled to find a program to finish his high school diploma, because he was older than the traditional high school student. After searching for nearly a year, he started to lose hope. He was looking into training to become a cab driver when he got a call from Roosevelt STAY that he had been taken off the waitlist, a moment that he says was a turning point in his life. “I knew that I had a lot of difficulty to get to that point, so I’m not going to let any excuse hold me back from completing that opportunity.” Thinking about his time at Roosevelt STAY, Ebrahim says that the school has been a welcoming and supportive environment. “I always tell my friends there are really great opportunities at Roosevelt STAY. It doesn’t matter your immigration status, or your race, or your gender, or your religion. They accept you as you are.” When Ebrahim lived in Ethiopia, he volunteered with an organization that installed solar power in rural communities that previously had no access to electricity. Through this experience, he says that he saw the true power of applying one’s education to transform communities. Ebrahim will take the next step in his education by enrolling at George Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science to major in computer science with nearly a full scholarship. He says that he wants computer science to be a field that is accessible and beneficial to people of all backgrounds. “I want to show that people who graduate with a degree in computer science can serve people who are underserved, and that it is not something only for luxury.” Ebrahim says that he wants to serve as a role model for other students who have experienced setbacks in their education. “I want to tell my story. Even if something happens that discourages me, I want to remind myself that my story might help others.” #DCPSGoesToCollege
