TicketsWho is Albert Kalala? I am a young man from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, where my life has not always been easy. I like to meet new people from around the world; I like to learn their customs, language, and how they are (personality, likes, dislikes etc.). I believe in Jesus because He did many things to help me throughout my entire life. I am also a person who strongly believes in family. As a young boy, I grew up without my father around. My father made great sacrifices and put the needs and wants of his family before his own; he made sure he worked hard to support his family, but I missed having him to guide and direct me. It was hard to learn how to be a man without one around to emulate, and I lived a long time with only my mom. Although he wasn't always around, he made me realize the importance of family.
The day I came to America, my life completely changed. I began attending Withrow University High School in December 2015. I did not know any English, but I worked hard and slowly began to understand it. I learned to overcome the language barrier through sports. I played three different sports in high school which were basketball, track, and soccer. I am proud to say that I excelled in all of them. It is not for pleasure or for the need of money when I play sports, but it is because I love it. If I am not playing sports I feel sick. Sport is important for me because it keeps my body healthy and in shape. Sport has been like food since I was a kid-- I was eating it every morning and every evening and my body was used to it.
School has also become a big part of my life. Getting to college was not easy for me. I had to improve my ACT scores before the end of my senior year because I had to be eligible with the NCAA. In order to improve my score, I had to take ACT prep classes. My scores did not improve, so I had to take summer classes to raise my GPA. My teachers and coaches helped by reaching out to me and encouraging me. They always stayed on me to make sure that I had everything completed so I could go to college. The transition to college shocked me when I got to the University of Cincinnati. I have had many resources such as my academic coach, my tutor, and my learning specialist to help me understand my work and be successful academically.
My life has taught me that some days are harder than others to get up early and grind, but I'd much rather suffer a little today than struggle the rest of my life.
The day I came to America, my life completely changed. I began attending Withrow University High School in December 2015. I did not know any English, but I worked hard and slowly began to understand it. I learned to overcome the language barrier through sports. I played three different sports in high school which were basketball, track, and soccer. I am proud to say that I excelled in all of them. It is not for pleasure or for the need of money when I play sports, but it is because I love it. If I am not playing sports I feel sick. Sport is important for me because it keeps my body healthy and in shape. Sport has been like food since I was a kid-- I was eating it every morning and every evening and my body was used to it.
School has also become a big part of my life. Getting to college was not easy for me. I had to improve my ACT scores before the end of my senior year because I had to be eligible with the NCAA. In order to improve my score, I had to take ACT prep classes. My scores did not improve, so I had to take summer classes to raise my GPA. My teachers and coaches helped by reaching out to me and encouraging me. They always stayed on me to make sure that I had everything completed so I could go to college. The transition to college shocked me when I got to the University of Cincinnati. I have had many resources such as my academic coach, my tutor, and my learning specialist to help me understand my work and be successful academically.
My life has taught me that some days are harder than others to get up early and grind, but I'd much rather suffer a little today than struggle the rest of my life.