Dina was sad to leave her friends and afraid because "I didn't speak English at all, didn't know how to make new friends or take care of myself in this new place."
Dina attended "very hard" public schools in Gabon and studied English one year, reciting dialogs she didn't understand and learning just a few words. Here, though she was 14, fluent in French and proficient in Lingala and Lahri, Dina was placed in 6th grade and then moved to 4th because of her lack of English. Unhappy, she worked hard and, by May, achieved promotion to 6th grade.
Upset that she would be a 15-year-old in middle school, falling further behind, she convinced her mother to enroll her in Westbury High School. The registrar, reviewing her transcript, said, "Sweetheart, you just finished 5th grade! This is a high school!" Dina explained her fears and asked the woman to let her try. Moved by Dina's determination, the kind woman agreed. Dina entered 9th grade, where she joined PAIR, made As and Bs, and never looked back.
Dina has continued to achieve, passing the high school exit exams, making honor roll her senior year, and now attending Sam Houston State University where she studies political science with a minor in French. Dina hopes to continue her education and pursue a career in law. She's seen injustice first hand - when her mother was assaulted in Gabon and her attacker went free. She'd like to be able to help others receive the rights that everyone deserves.
With her determination and hard work, Dina will achieve whatever she sets her mind to.
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