I met Abraham a few weeks ago. To support his young family he has two near minimum wage jobs in which 14-hour work days are normal. He desires to go back to college, but is held back from pursuing his dreams due to real life “bread and butter” pressures he and his family experience.
Here is Abraham’s story:
I was born in South Sudan before the civil war. I moved to Ethiopia in 1987 as a refugee and began first grade in 1988. I then relocated to Kenya after being in Ethiopia for four years. While in Kenya, I went to primary school and secondary school. When I came to America, I completed my GED. In December 2009 I received my associates degree in horticulture at Richland College. Now my primary goal is to go back to university for another two years. This is a taste of my life: I have very little time to make it better.