In celebration of National Mentoring Month, we caught up with former Youth Mentoring student Achol. Now in her senior year studying molecular and cellular biology at Kent State University, Achol remains grateful for the impact the mentoring program had on her life.
Achol moved to Pittsburgh with her mother and sister when she was four years old. She was born in a refugee camp in Nairobi after her family fled the civil war in South Sudan. Achol remembers her grandmother taking care of her in Nairobi while her mom worked. Her dad moved to the US before she was born, and Achol didn’t meet him in person until she moved to Pittsburgh.
Achol, her mom, and her sister arrived in Pittsburgh in November, not knowing anything about winter. Achol remembers meeting Ann, her dad’s case manager, at the airport. Ann brought winter coats for Achol and her sister, warmly welcoming them to America. (Fun fact: Ann is now the volunteer engagement coordinator at SHIM and enjoys reconnecting with families she worked with in her previous role as a refugee resettlement coordinator.)
As they settled into life in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Whitehall, Achol’s family learned about youth programs at South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM). Her mom was excited to enroll her in SHIM’s Early Childhood Program (ECP), a free preschool program specializing in working with children from foreign-born families. Achol learned English along with foundational skills while her mother worked, avoiding the need to pay for childcare. The program’s location within the apartment complex where Achol’s family lived meant her mother didn’t have to worry about finding transportation, making it very convenient.
As she aged out of ECP, Achol participated in other youth programs, such as After School and Summer Camp. When she started sixth grade, she joined SHIM’s Youth Mentoring program. Achol was grateful for the help she received, especially with her homework. While still mastering English, she grappled with a lack of confidence and comfort in school. The language barrier added stress as she endeavored to excel academically. At Youth Mentoring, she felt that she was in a safe space where she didn’t feel self-conscious.
During the years that Achol was enrolled in Youth Mentoring, many of the students were refugees who had been in the country for even less time than her. Inspired by her older sister’s successes, who was 9 when they moved, Achol was motivated to help empower other teens and encourage them to persevere. She valued the chance to be around other teens who shared her experience of emigrating to the United States. Achol even acted as an ambassador, encouraging teens she met at school to attend SHIM’s Youth Mentoring program.
“I encouraged other teens to find what they like, to change their perspective to be accepting and positive, and to ask for help when they need it.”
Achol felt much more prepared for life after high school, thanks to her youth mentors. She remembers them encouraging her to begin her college search sophomore year, crediting them with giving her enough time to prepare. She even took her SATs at the beginning of her junior year, based on their advice.
“Part of my success has to do with SHIM. They really helped me build the foundation for my love of learning.”
Achol loves that America is a melting pot of unique perspectives. Even among her own family, she appreciates their differences. While Achol and her older sister were born in Africa, her three younger siblings were born in the United States. Achol and her older sister prefer their native food and music while the younger siblings prefer American food and music. The older sisters speak Dinka more naturally, and even though they speak Dinka at home, the younger siblings feel more comfortable in English.
As her parents have become settled into the South Hills, working diligently to provide for their family, Achol has seen a shift in their parenting. When she was young, her parents worked constantly to keep up with the bills and to send money to relatives back home. She understood the sacrifices they were making, which helped her to accept their inability to be preset in the same way as her American peers’ parents. Now that she and her sister are grown and her parents have purchased a home, she is grateful that they can be more present with her younger siblings. Even as they continue to work 7 days per week, they have found more opportunities to participate in their children’s lives.
Achol began working in high school to help pay household bills and continues to send money home even while putting herself through college. Even with a full tuition scholarship, Achol was still responsible for earning enough to pay for her room and board. She began college remotely in 2020 but struggled to find a job in Kent, OH when she moved there in 2021 to attend university in-person. Achol kept her direct care assistance job in at a facility in Pittsburgh and made frequent trips home to work and save up money.
“Youth Mentoring taught me what leadership meant. I was able to apply that to many things, from internships to jobs.”
As she looks to her future, Achol envisions a career in obstetrics or midwifery. She remembers being fascinated at her mother’s OBGYN visits when she was pregnant with Achol’s siblings. After years of caring for younger siblings and assisting clients in a mental health care facility, Achol is equipped to pair her desire to help others with her strong academic skills.
“If I hadn’t had these [SHIM youth] programs, I definitely wouldn’t be the person I am now.”
Learn more about other recent graduates at www.shimcares.org/latest-news.
