Seeing is Believing: Bonsa’s Story

_{Bonsa Mohamed (right) is a 2016 graduate of Edison High School. He is a native of Ethiopia and came to the United States as a refugee. Bonsa participated in our Project Success college tour to Boston, and received a full scholarship to attend Augsburg College (pre-med) beginning this fall. This is his story.}

My name is Bonsa Mohamed and I recently graduated from Edison High School in Minneapolis.

Originally, I am from Ethiopia and an Oromo by ancestry. I was raised in the slums of Kampala, Uganda.

As a refugee, I have lived in three different cultures namely Ethiopia, Uganda, and the United States.

I had to adapt to their languages, food, and customs. I have seen how a dictatorship can limit basic freedom. I have witnessed how it destroys economic opportunities, causes death, and displaces families.

I have lived where there was no hope and opportunity did not exist. Only poverty thrived. Now, I live where hope and opportunity abound!

One of the opportunities that has had a great impact on me is Project Success, which has given me opportunities that will help me succeed in college and given me a taste of real college life.

I flew to Harvard University with Project Success, which I never thought I could. We toured the historic city of Boston and many university campuses, where admission counselors answered our questions about admission requirements and scholarships.

Seeing is believing. Because of visiting many colleges with Project Success, I was able to select the college that is right for me, and I can see myself thriving in college.

I have a piece of advice for all students and it begins with Nelson Mandela’s quote: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

There cannot be independence without education. With education comes the power to communicate, the power to understand each other and the power to solve the problems. Therefore my message to all students is to get involved in school and programs like Project Success. Participate in class, find a study partner, find mentors, and focus on your dreams.

I know I’ll be successful in college because of these opportunities. I want to show the students who are indifferent to education what they can achieve. I want to share my story, so they may consider my background and my struggle to become educated. I want them to say to themselves, “If he can do it, we can do it too!”

For more about our college tour to Harvard and Boston University, read our blog post from October 2015.