Worcester Sun (http://old.worcester.ma/category/first-person/)
“We arrived at about 6 p.m. at JFK. Planes were moving as fast as I could count. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. In Sierra Leone I’d lived in the diamond mining area. There was an airplane that came to my hometown every morning. I was only used to that tiny airplane that came around 11:30 a.m., not the likes of those that were baffling and amazing me now. Yes, we are in America, I whispered to myself.”
I never thought I would see snow or touch it. This was going to be our school.” For Augustine Kanjia and family there was plenty to learn, indeed, during their first days in Worcester — like just what to do with Kelley Square.
“Overworking is a red flag and can cause actual damage to your business and ultimately your own health. So, over the next few weeks, take some time to just stop.” You heard it here first, folks! Original Woopreneur Giselle Rivera-Flores gives us a permission slip for vacation and has a few other tips for surviving the silly season.
“Twelve nights sneaking around the neighborhood playing ding dong ditch? How fun! I especially loved the idea of helping my kids learn the joys of giving at such an impressionable age. And so that December gave birth to a new family tradition for the Fells. That first year proved a wonderful experience and we continued choosing a different neighbor each year, until tragedy struck our own family.”
Taking on all these new projects may not be for everyone. While many have said I could build The Learning Hub faster by narrowing my focus, I don’t believe success is a race.” Find out how Giselle Rivera-Flores keeps moving the finishing line, one endeavor at a time.
“I was full of hope and anticipation before my departure. I grew up very quickly during that seven-day voyage. I escaped from my country, away from the barbaric treatment of the communists. I survived a sea full of stormy turbulence and remained relatively unscathed from two pirate attacks.”
“The maker movement isn’t about a trendy template of instruction; instead it is about full exploration of inner creativity. This is why many school systems are a bit behind, because teaching with step-by-step, standardized instruction can’t reach all the students who learn differently or come from different backgrounds.” Don’t miss the next exciting step in Giselle’s journey.
Whether you’re one of our many regular Augustine readers or it’s your first time, you won’t want to miss this chapter! “My wife, Theresa, was mostly in haste for us to complete our interviews with the UNHCR so as to change our address for the better. She actually gave me some insight into breaking news that made the difference.” Augustine and his family are one step closer to America … but they’re not there yet.
“Homeschooling is a lot of work, and it has taken up a large portion of my mornings, but when I see Brook succeeding and taking pride in her work, I do not regret pulling her away from the public school system. She is in a better place. As I write this, she sits at her desk laughing over a story her online teacher recommended. A genuine moment of enjoyment with school work.” Now all Giselle has to do is the find the time for everything else in her busy day. Find out how she does it — and how Brooklyn and Evian are really doing in their new school setting.
With his quest for asylum on the back burner, Augustine remains on the hot seat, experiencing distrust from the police and even from friends. But the journalism work continues, despite hostility from Gambian officials. Proud as ever and worried about his ailing son, Augustine stands up for himself and his profession … And waits.
Sun contributor Danielle Cutillo, 23, a Holy Name grad and lifelong Worcester resident, is back from Haiti, where she volunteered at an orphanage built in honor of Britney Gengel of Rutland, killed in a 2010 earthquake. The story of Danielle’s trip involves hugs, hopes, a newly built house, and deep feelings of luck and love. It was a success. [with photo gallery]
