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TURNER — Khadija Noorow escaped from civil war in Somalia and came to America with no formal education. She told the packed auditorium at Leavitt Area High School that in her homeland, the boys learned to work and the men supported the family.
The girls sole learning was attained by helping their mothers do what mothers do in poor Somali families. School was not stressed, especially for girls.
Noorow spoke at Regional School Unit 52 Adult Education graduation on June 1, one of 30 graduates among a diverse group of men and women, many non-traditional studens, like Joe Barry, 40, who works full-time worker and supports a family of five.
Noorow, is a parent, with a daughter who has graduated from high school. “My background has pushed me,” Noorow said. “If you are determined, life has no limits.” She learned English from scratch when she came to the U.S., gave the first student speech at the ceremony.
Adult Education Director Razell Ward opened the evening talking about the “occasionally rocky road” her determined students encountered. As the end of the school year approached, she noted the panic on the faces of some and congratulated them on “learning to fix their own mistakes and ‘panicking productively,'” using the phrase as their motto.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was the keynote speaker.
“The typical commencement speech includes wise advice to graduates as they head out into the ‘real world,'” Collins said. “You already live in the real world and saw that completing your high school education was essential to success.”
She concluded her remarks by encouraging the grads to give thanks to their community and get involved with it, “Whether it’s joining the fire department or ambulance crew, helping at the local school or hospital, or serving on the school board.”
The second student speech was given by Kauna Bitris Yaga, and a congratulatory message was presented by Thomas Nash, a past president of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education.
TOP PHOTO: Khadija Noorow (right) from Lewiston gave one of two student speeches at RSU 52 Adult Education Commencement. Noorow is a Somali immigrant who had to learn English and get her education while starting a family in a new country. (Bill Van Tassel photo)
