1. Born on September 9th of 2005, I am the only child of two hardworking immigrants who have sacrificed everything for me to live a life that they couldn’t. I was born in the Democratic of Congo and moved to the United States at just four years old. Being a foreign American citizen has taught me many things. I am now a studious young lady attending the University of Iowa and I have big dreams for myself and the people I left back home. 2. As an immigrant student I’ve always been caught between two worlds. At home I was Congolese but at school, I felt American. Culture shock occurred frequently as I learned about the American lifestyle and norms. My family is traditionalist and very religious. However, it seemed like most Americans I was surrounded by were liberal and secular. It conflicted a lot with what I was taught at home. Certain things I engaged with did not align with what my peers perceived as normal. Many of them were also hostile to African students and went as far as making insensitive jokes about our culture, accents, and physical features. Although I resented the contrast, it ultimately molded me into the person I am today. 3. Without a secondary place to develop my own morality and opinions, I would’ve been stuck in the cycle of intergenerational transmission of beliefs that my family attempted to infiltrate within me. I needed a challenge where I could learn from those who do not share the same background as me and use that experience to mature. I discovered that I was my own person and didn’t have to stick with tradition. I also grew to acknowledge that I had the privilege to endure this change. Most people back home were stuck only knowing the outdated customs in Congo, they didn’t have the chance to explore different outlooks on life like I had. With the DRC being such a poor underdeveloped country, this only fueled a passion within me to bring change. 4. Very few people have access to proper education back in my homeland. The U.S. Agency for International Development highlights that over 4 million Congolese children remain out of school. Without education, people are unable to develop the skills that facilitate critical thinking, the process that led me to become my own person. This is why I want to invest in my own non-profit organization that helps children back home gain access to schooling. By becoming a diplomat and representing Congo, I could use my expertise to advocate for education. I believe that it is a human right and it can do wonders for those in need. Not only does having a knowledgeable population help improve society, but encourages economic growth. This is what DRC needs, to grow. We have had a dark past and continue to be held back by corrupt leaders and exploitative businesses. It is time that there is a change and I believe that my passions will change Congo for the better.

English isn't the official language of the United States, which I always found odd. In order to establish a life here, that won't leave you in crippling poverty, it’s crucial to be at least intermediate in the English language. When my parents saw that their visa was approved in November of 2009, they had no background in English whatsoever. We came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a francophone country, where the opportunities to speak English were minimal. The language barrier was our most difficult obstacle as we navigated life in America, and as I look back on the experience, I am grateful to no longer be in that predicament. Most people may think that English is the easiest language to learn, but I beg to differ. My family has resided in this country for over 15 years and my mom still can’t hold a conversation with our American neighbors. Just last week she tried to greet them, and the grammatical errors she made would give an English teacher a stroke. As a polyglot family, we use a variety of tongues within our home. Lingala, French, Kitetela, English, and so on. However, English in particular has always been a challenge. Luckily for me, I arrived at just four years old. I had the opportunity to attend an American school at a very young age which accelerated my learning. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a privilege my parents had. Due to their lack of knowledge of the language, my parents were stuck working low-end jobs in meatpacking factories like most Congolese immigrants. Due to this obstacle, they were unable to access high-paying professions that aligned with their degrees. My father, a former dentist was cutting pork for a living. It wasn’t the American dream he had hoped for, but more so a nightmare. My mother seemed to detest English the minute she stepped foot on North American soil. She couldn’t leave the house without my father, who knew a little bit more than her. Whether it was asking for customer assistance, getting her driver's license, or doing daily tasks that required communication with an English speaker, she felt hopeless. I remember my parents pacing back and forth in our small apartment, as they tried to explain to our insurance company why their medical expenses needed to be covered. Without proper translators available to them they had to find other methods to communicate effectively. If it weren’t for Google Translate, I don’t think we’d be where we are today. Nonetheless, English has become a staple in my family as we have long replaced French as our primary language. I know my parents still wish to pursue their past careers in dentistry and business, yet as time passed, they felt reluctant to do so. This is the reality for many Congolese families. That is why I try to do my best to help those who face language barriers when arriving in America. I currently serve as the social justice navigator at the Iowa Immigrant Welcome network of Johnson County. A non-profit organization that seeks to empower Immigrants and Refugees in their new homes. I assist Congolese clients with French and Lingala translation and our office works endlessly to meet their needs. I don’t want others to deal with the problems that my family had. By giving aid to those who don’t have resources I am making a change within my community. I feel an obligation to give back to my people and I will continue to do so by any means.

I’m a Congolese Immigrant who came to the United States at just four years old. I’ve spent my whole life being undecided on what I wanted to be as an adult. As an inquisitive and outspoken young woman, I yearned for meaning. In my last year of high school, just a few months before I would graduate, I decided to become an immigration lawyer. This conclusion stemmed from my first internship at the Iowa Johnson County Public defenders office, a life-changing experience I’ll never forget, that led me to where I am now Initially, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I had spent four years being told that the purpose of school was to encourage students to find their aspirations, yet what was mine? I felt hopeless and behind. Seeing my peers easily choose their majors made me realize one crucial thing: how and where do I get my spark? It was then that I scheduled a very urgent meeting with my counselor, eager to find the solution to this identity crisis. With the help of my wonderful counselor, Mr.Bergmann, I was referred to an internship program offered by a local community college. I signed up and in the weeks following was approved. The internship was a duration of 40 weeks, yet in those 40 weeks, I learned more about myself than I had in four years. I shadowed the brilliant Christy Wolfe, an investigator who worked alongside attorneys to solve both civil and criminal cases for low-income individuals. The work was extensive. I created documents that helped with the change of venue for clients who would be at risk of an unfair jury, collected evidence on different social media platforms to investigate cases, and even handed out subpoenas. Most of the clients consisted of Immigrants like myself who had no background in the American justice system. With language barriers and financial stability holding them back, the office worked endlessly to meet their needs. Because of this, I realized that I loved the legal field, and most importantly, aiding those who don’t have the resources. After discovering my passion, I knew what I had to do for it to come true. The first step was to attend college and major in political science like most lawyers do. Currently, I am an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa, pursuing that exact major. In September of 2024, I also started interning at the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County, as a social justice Navigator. My job here is to examine the problems of the immigrant community and advocate against them. However, I didn’t stop there. I applied with Americorps to become a service member at Refugee & Immigrant Voices In Action (RIVA), another Iowa-based organization that strives to aid newcomers in America to establish a better life. These are just some of the many plans I have for myself. One particular goal I have In 2025 is to gain experience working at a law firm as an administrative assistant. I also look forward to participating in various projects that could help uplift the immigrant community in my county. As for now, I know I want to apply to law school. From there I can study for my bar exam, pass, and become a practicing attorney. I know that using my expertise as leverage to become an Immigration lawyer will make an amazing impact. I have confidence in myself and feel an obligation to make my community empowered. Although it took time, I finally found my spark and will continue to maintain its flame.

As a child I had a keen interest in the performing arts. I wanted to play every instrument and sing in every choir. Beecome the best musician there ever was. I believed since my competence was lacking in the STEM department, I’d put my energy into something that required creativity rather than logic. My musical journey began in the fifth grade after I begged my parents to sign me up for orchestra. I played the viola and enjoyed the honeymoon phase with the activity entirely. That was, until the end of my Freshman year of high school, when I decided to quit. My decision felt utterly nerve-wracking. After all the money my parents spent on my instrument and books, I felt like an ungrateful daughter who was practically throwing everything away. Yet despite all of that, the most difficult part was why. Why did I want to start fresh after 5 whole years? The answer to that was complex at the time, but I saw it as a symbol of the neurons in my brain migrating, and my prefrontal cortex developing a little bit more. Consciously I knew the answer was straightforward, I simply didn’t want to do it anymore. My spark had diminished and I was looking for another match to light it up again. The problem was my fear of starting over, I was holding onto orchestra because I felt that it was too late to look for something new. In psychology this is called metathesiophobia, the fear of change, and mine was severe. When I mustered enough courage to tell my parents that I was no longer going to play, to my surprise, they were nonchalant about the idea. I was stocked for not receiving an earful as to why I was being unappreciative of their sacrifices for me. However, there was still one lingering thought, what would I do next? It took me 3 years to figure that out. On the first day of my last day of high school, I stumbled upon a flyer that read ‘Debate club in room H03’. I stared at it before writing down the time of the club’s first meeting. Although I’m not good with numbers, I am a very zealous person. With that, my outspokenness has positioned me in lots of discourse. So when I joined the debate team I realized this is what I was made for, arguing with people for long periods of time about economic and social issues within our nation. Ultimately, I found it much more gratifying than gliding my bow across four strings. Not only did debate align with the enthusiasm I had for a good argument, but I didn’t have to solve mathematical equations or scientific theories. I didn’t have to be a computer wiz or an expert in the arts to be someone successful. Regardless of the time it took me to stumble upon debate, I found a passion that led to my aspirations of becoming a lawyer. Which is why I am a political science major today, trying to use my education to facilitate a career in administrative law. I’ve matured enough to come to the realization that fear is a setback stopping me from reaching beyond my horizon. No, I no longer want to be the world’s best musician. Orchestra wasn’t the for me but it was a step forward. A step forward to what my current career goals are now, which helped me realize that, even if I spend so much time on something I thought would be my end-all, there is no harm in starting over.