My NSA Story: Learning Life One Grade at a Time
By Keziah H.
Blue shutters by viki2win from Getty Images Created in Canva
In an English assignment I completed recently, my teacher asked me to write about a plot twist in my life. Immediately, I knew just what to say.
When I was six years old, I was sent to French school, since it was the only option for where I lived in North Africa. I was the only American in a class filled with African children, and I did not speak a word of French. However, I slowly grew to enjoy it. My teacher was a kind lady who made me feel welcome, and though we did have to work hard on math and writing French, there was also time for fun and games, like drawing pictures, modeling with clay, and playing with tennis balls outside. First grade was nice for a diligent little girl like me.
Second grade, though, was almost the opposite. The teacher, a Somali man, did not speak the other kids’ language, and he did not try to understand them. When we made too many mistakes, he would hit us with a rubber hose (it hurt much worse than it sounds) or a ruler, and sometimes he would hit us even if we made no mistakes if we lost a contest against other students. Once, I failed to pronounce the French sound, “gni” correctly, so my hands were hit until they were red and painful. He also would say unkind things that broke my spirit. For example, he often said, “Keziah, you are only second best in the class! You have to work harder, and be the best, or else you’re just lazy.” This system often left me exhausted and full of fear.
This situation was hard, but luckily, my story began to change. In third grade, my mom pulled me out of public school and began to homeschool me. I learned much more easily now that I was not forced into it. Because keeping my French knowledge was important, I did a language learning program on the computer, but it was more difficult. I did not have a teacher to guide and instruct me, because my parents did not know any French.
So, in sixth grade, I started online school for the first time, in a school called The Potter’s School (TPS). I had a kind, wonderful teacher who inspired me to love French as well as learn it. And the other students spoke English and for the most part, were raised in Christian families. The class allowed me to learn French better, but also to grow in a love of Christ. In addition, learning online better prepared me to begin NorthStar in eighth grade.
Now, I am starting on my sixth year of French, and my fourth year of NorthStar learning. Every day is a new opportunity to learn, even when it is difficult to keep up with my workload. And I am no longer the same girl I was during those years at French school. I think I am finally learning to trust in God and be courageous.
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Keziah H. lives in East Africa with her parents, two brothers, and a mischievous puppy named Bandit. This is her fourth year at Northstar but her first year at the Navigator. She likes to read almost any book she can get her hands on, but especially fantasy books. She also enjoys creative writing, coming up with awesome ideas with her brothers, and playing outside. She has been writing stories ever since she can remember and hopes to be an author when she grows up.