AMERICA | 18-year-old African-American girl graduates as overall best student of the school where her father works as janitor.
An 18-year-old African-American girl named Biiftu Duresso emerged as the overall best student and valedictorian of the 2015 set of Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School, New York, United States.
Biiftu Duresso brought smiles to the face of her father who works as a janitor in the school.
Biiftu in her valedictory speech spoke about how her mother and father came to the United States from Ethiopia in 1983 with no education or job. She described their actions as an audacity to imagine something better for her and her siblings.
“They had the audacity to imagine something better for me and my siblings,” she said.
Biiftus’s father, Jamal Abdullahi, works at night as a janitor at Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School. He stated that he is so proud to see his daughter find such success.
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He emphasised that he admonishes his children that getting an education earns people’s respect and allows them to grab opportunities when they come.
“I tell them, All I can do is to help you, but it is your future, you must help yourself. And I said that people respect those who have education, and it helps opportunities come up for you,” Abdullahi said.
Abdullahi narrated that he had no education when he arrived in the United States but later worked hard to earn an associate degree from Monroe Community College in 2003 and proceeded to earn a bachelor’s degree from the College of Brockport in 2008.
He added that he brought his daughters to witness his graduation ceremony when he earned his bachelor’s degree. “They were excited. I have so much passion for education,” he said.
“I know the feeling of struggle, I know how it feels and that’s why I am happy she is succeeding,” he said.
He said he cannot take all the credit for all his daughter’s success but he made sure he provided for them. “We do what we can for our children to be successful. I do what I can but between work and providing the life they need, there’s not enough time. Kids need so much time to be attended to.” he said.
He described his wife as being integral in helping Biiftu and her siblings accomplish all they have. “Her mom works daytime and I work at night, so her mom comes from work and is running after them after school, going from one place to another to pick them up. So it was nice to see Biiftu recognizing her parents,” he said.
Biiftu proceeded to Barnard College, a liberal arts school for women in Manhattan, affiliated with Columbia University for her undergraduate studies. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behaviour.
Biiftu’s younger sister, Dursitu, who witnessed the success decided to emulate it and in 2017, she also graduated High School as the valedictorian.
“I remember going there to drop her off and thinking: ‘That could be me,’. It’s going to be me. … I have to be number one, too,” Dursitu Duresso said.
She graduated top of the class at the prestigious Rochester high school, Michigan, United States.
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