COLUMBUS – Thousands of high school students graduating this year are simply excited that they could hear their name and walk across the stage in person.
What You Need To Know
- Alpha Umarusilikie came to the U.S. at the age of 10
- The Thomas Worthington High School graduate will go to the Air Force before the summer is over
- Going to the Air Force not only fulfills his mother’s dream, but his also as he’ll get the chance to travel around the world
Alpha Umarusilikie said life was good in Sierra Leone, but he knew there were greater opportunities for him in the U.S. to excel.
So, he joined his mother eight years ago, at the age of 10, and hasn’t looked back since. While he knows his family back in Sierra Leone helped shape him, he said, he’s grateful that he got the chance to see graduation day.
He wasn’t sure if he would because of the pandemic; but when he learned his school would have in-person graduation, he was even more excited.
To add to the excitement, administrators asked him to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at graduation. Surprised that they asked, he said it was an honor for him to do it and for his family to witness it. Those who couldn’t be present for the graduation got to watch him via livestream.
Umarusilikie said it meant a lot, especially for his family because they could see what he’d become since being here in the U.S.
The high school graduate enters the Air Force before summer is over. He’s looking to pursue a career in the IT world or communications.
