Fatiumata Bah is the valedictorian at English High School in Boston.
BOSTON (CBS) — There are 38 high school seniors who will be graduating at the top of their class in Boston. And on Tuesday all of those valedictorians were honored for their hard work and achievement.
One student being honored started her journey to the top a mere four years ago when she moved to Boston from Guinea to live with a guardian and get an education.
Fatiumata Bah says she grew up in a place where she didn’t see people accomplish much, especially women. In her native west African nation, women as young as 13 are often given away to men.
WBZ-TV’s Peg Rusconi reports.
“I loved school and was always very focused on the very limited education I was given, but I was always reminded I was wasting my time.”
She said coming to America allowed to her to follow her dreams. She said at first she struggled with English, but she worked hard.
“Coming to a new country, adjusting to a new language, having to excel in the classroom, going from regular classes to AP classes,” said Justine Grace, Bah’s guidance counselor, making the point that Bah did it all.
“She’s so intelligent. She’s come from another country making sure she really has an opportunity to do well,” said Dr Sito Narcisse of English High School.
She says she wants to become a professor of mathematics and be known as Dr. Fatoumata Bah. She also wants to go back to Guinea and build schools where girls and boys can learn together.
4 Comments
I don’t care about the odds she faced, or the work ethic she had..is she legal? Our schools are broke, and I THE TAXPAYER am paying for her education!
May 31, 2011 at 9:42 pm | | Report comment
So much for rewarding success..people like you will leave our country in the dust as other nations pass us by. Spend your taxpayer penny counting time looking at huge contracts handed out in the defense and Homeland Security Departments..or right here in Boston. In my town we spend huge amts of money on feasibility studies etc..focus on that & leave the small stuff alone. we need kids like this..this is the American Dream..hard work pays off.
May 31, 2011 at 10:59 pm | | Report comment
Wow. Not only are you xenophobic, but you’re an idiot, Brendan.
June 2, 2011 at 9:10 pm | | Report comment
Good for her! She is lucky to be one of the few from her country to be given an opportunity at success. To often children born in the United States take for granted the opportunities they have and therefor do not push themselves to succeed. This girl came from nothing to where she is today and all i see day to day is US children complaining about what they don’t have,children need to start focusing on what they do have and how lucky they are to live in such a great nation. Annnnnd who cares if she is legal or not why don’t you take the opportunity to be happy for her, I’m sure she is bringing more to the table for our country than many primary school students. Wether she is a citizen or not she was given a gift her and will always support the US.
June 1, 2011 at 8:43 am | | Report comment