[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]CHANGED FOR GOOD…The students were asked to reflect on a relationship that has affected their life for the better
MOHAMED…reminds us that the most important person who can change us for the better is ourself.
No One’s Coming to Save Me
I was six years old when my family left Mali. I didn’t understand why at first. I just remember the long flight, the boxes we couldn’t bring, and my mother whispering that America would give me a better life. But “better” didn’t come easy.We didn’t have much money.
My parents worked long hours, and I learned early how to make things last, one pair of shoes for everything, from school to the playground to Eid prayer. Kids at school noticed. They laughed at my accent, my clothes, and even my name. I’d smile like it didn’t bother me, but when I got home, I’d sit in silence, replaying every insult in my head. Middle school was the worst. Everyone wanted to fit in, and I stuck out. I didn’t talk much. I kept to myself. Sometimes I’d pretend to be sick just to avoid the noise, the jokes, the whispers. I didn’t know it then, but all that pain was teaching me how to stay calm in the middle of chaos. Back then, basketball was just something I watched on YouTube. I’d see players like Kevin Durant glide across the court, and I’d imagine what it felt like to move like that. But I never really played. I told myself I didn’t have the time, or the...
