Ikram
Be sure to visit this site again for updates on Ikram's progress in the Summer Youth Program.
Ikram
Ikram didn't sleep too well in the cabins at Camp Long on Wednesday night. She doesn't like the bugs, and she misses the comforts of home, like a hot shower, television and the Internet. But there were benefits to the experience.
"I like being out in nature. It's nice and calm. It can be relaxing," she says.
Although Ikram will have a few days to relax at home, another challenge will soon begin - her sophomore year of high school.
Updated 8/28/09
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Ikram wrote this journal entry about the her future goals:
"Today was a pretty great day. I woke up, got ready, and took my time walking up to the bus stop. I actually didn't have to run. In calss we did some more college planning with Monica, our instructor. She talked to us about thinking now about our goals and what we want in life. My goal in life is to be a successful registered nurse with a full time, good paying job. T reach my goal I have to have job goals, goals to help me achieve the greater and bigger picture in life. First I want to graduate from high school with at least a 3.6 GPA. Then I want to receive an Associates of Arts by age 20. After that my Bachelors of Science by 23. And maybe later on my masters. I just want to give back to my country, Ethioipia, and just help out. That's my goal in life and what I want out of life. I believe that Monica is very helpful and has really opened my eyes of all the different things I can do in life. I would like to thank Monica for all of her help."
Updated 8/27/09
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Seattle Municipal Court Judge Michael Hurtado spoke to the teens last week.
"I really like Judge Hurtado. He's funny. His life story is similar to everyone else's. He grew up in a rough neighborhood. He wasn't good at standardized tests. But he watched the movie Jaws and used it as a metaphor for taking tests. Like a shark, he looked for prey, studied it, then attacked and didn't look back. When taking a test, don't second guess yourself. He was able to succeed and become a judge despite his background. I think that's pretty cool," Ikram says.
Updated 8/26/09
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Ikram's T-shirt group named itself "Fresh Print" and created a shirt with a message about stopping violence in the community. Ikram and the rest of the group spoke about how the shirt will build awareness in the community about the effects of violence. Fresh Print, like all the other groups, also presented information on the production and marketing costs for the shirts, as well as the profit they expect to make. And each group filmed 30 second commercials.
"I'm relieved that the project is over. The weight just lifted. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to school work. I always have to do the best. But you can't just expect to always win - you're gonna lost some times, so I give Royal T (the winning group) props. I thought we had the best message, something that's an issue here in Seattle. But overall the project helped me learn to work with different people," Ikram says.
Updated 8/24/09
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Ikram finds working in the parks difficult, but rewarding. "When people drive by, they honk their horns and say, ‘Good Job!'" It makes me feel like I've accomplished something. It's important to pitch in and help the community. If the parks look dirty, then that's not a good reflection of the community," she says.
Each Friday, a Naturalist speaks to the teens about the plants and animals that can be found in the city's parks and underscores the parks' importance to the community. "We've learned to identify different kinds of plants. I never realized a lot of these were in the city," she said.
Updated 8/20/09
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This program is instructive in helping the teens discover areas of interest. Every week, the youth work in the Dearborn Street Goodwill store and apply the skills they've learned in class, which doesn't interest Ikram. "I don't like working in the store and organizing things. I don't think I'll get a job in retail," she says.
Ikram does find the discussions about applying for college helpful. She knows that she wants to become a nurse, but she wasn't sure the path she needs to take. "The goal planning exercise we did really helped me. One of my goals is to graduate with at least a 3.6 GPA. By the time I'm 20, I want to have earned an associate's degree. By 23, I want to have a bachelor's degree. Then I'll train to become a nurse," she says.
She knows that college is expensive. Her parents have five kids to send to college, and they're all two to three years apart in age. Ikram is therefore unsure how she'll fund her education. "My brother is starting college this year, and then I will start when he's still in. My parents tell me to do good in school so you can get scholarships."
Updated 8/18/09
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This is the first job for many of the teens, including Ikram. Last week, they received their second paycheck in the program. Only 15, she can't get a job quite yet, but she doesn't like to keep asking her parents for money.
"It felt really great when I got my first paycheck that I earned myself. It's a real check, from an actual company. All my life, I've just gotten things from my parents. This is the first time I've actually earned money, and I worked hard to do it," she says.
Ikram plans to save as much money as she can this summer, but she recently rewarded herself with an iPod.
Updated 8/13/09
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Students like Ikram, 15, bring valuable diversity to the program this summer. Her parents are from Ethiopia and Somalia, and the family practices Islam. This means that, as a female, she wears a traditional head covering in public. She also prays five times a day, as her religion prescribes.
Ikram was born in this country and has never visited Africa. Even so, her parent's native home is near to her heart. "I think if I lived there, I would be more in sync with Islam and able to practice it more consistently," she says.
She feels the program is a good way to dispel some myths among her peers: "In the movies, they always show Africa as a very poor place. It's not all poverty. It's really beautiful."
Recently, the Instructors discussed Career Pathways with students. To get any job, whether it's a doctor, lawyer, mechanic or writer, the students need to have a plan to reach their goals. Instructors spoke about the schooling that's necessary for certain careers, which interested Ikram. She thinks she would like to become a nurse, just like her mother. "I want to give back to the community here, but also I would like to go back to Africa one day and help many of the sick people there," she says.
Updated 8/6/09
