Occupation: Student

Country of Birth: Ghana

Current: Chicago, IL

“At some point, everybody is going to need help—why not help others?”

Josephine grew up in Ghana, where she played with friends on the street and went to a private school with strict rules. She enjoyed growing up in Ghana as a young girl, especially the strict structure of school and the freedom she had at home. It was flexible for her, which made it easy for her to grow up there. 

When she was seven years old, her mother began packing randomly; they went to the airport and boarded a plane to Chicago. She had to give up a lot of stuff, moving away from her father, her friends, and other people who cared about her dearly. After she landed in Chicago, her aunt gave her a coat and took her and her mother to get food. Even though everything was confusing, she was grateful for her aunt guiding them and giving them shelter and comfort through it all. 

On her first day of school in the US, she felt judged and embarrassed. Even though she grew up speaking English, she thought her peers did not know she could understand them. However, she did notice a different side of English after coming to Chicago. She knew the words people would say, but she did not know what they meant. Her friends helped her, and she is happy to learn about it because she loves learning. 

The opportunities she has in the US make her very happy, and she has been able to experience meeting new people. She gets to hear about the differences and similarities between her culture and other cultures. She is also involved in many clubs at her school, such as the Student Voice Council and the Black Student Union. She loves learning things about people and being able to apply skills to other things. 

In the future, she just wants to do something that helps people. She wants to contribute positively to society, especially now. She wants to be someone who can make a difference.