.jpg "Profiles of Impact")
Emphasis on Education: Master’s Student Tamam Waritu
By admin
When master’s student Tamam Waritu dropped out of his Ethiopian school in the fifth grade, it could have been the end of his education. In fact, growing up in the East African town of Assassa, Oromia with few amenities — electricity was even limited — Waritu recalls that there was not a lot of emphasis placed on education.
“Not many people really understood the value of education. Back then, no one really cared that much,” Waritu says. Although his father did stress the importance of education, Waritu lost interest in school when his father left for America. Without any other encouragement, Waritu spent the days that followed watching videos for 10 cents apiece at the only place in town with television and a VCR.
Ultimately, it was his father’s decision to move to America that brought Waritu back to school. It took nearly two years before he, his mother, and 11 siblings joined his father in Portland, Ore., but, once there, the 16-year-old Waritu found himself back in school after an almost four-year absence. While his father worked as a dishwasher, the family shared a two-bedroom apartment where all the children woke at 5 a.m. to get ready for school. Even though Waritu was unable to speak English, he was too old to attend middle school and enrolled as a freshman in one of the inner-city high schools. School was entirely different from what he remembered back home, he says, recalling that it was the first time he ever touched a computer.
During his sophomore year, Waritu was introduced to the idea of college which, since no one in his family had gone to college, he knew nothing about it. Waritu learned from his teachers that there are certain prerequisites for college entrance and, unfortunately, English as Second Language (ESL) — the course of study he was on at the time — did not qualify. Waritu rapidly changed his trajectory. In order to increase his chances of getting into college, he shifted the way he had been approaching school and persuaded teachers to get him out of ESL. By his junior year, he had mastered the computer, stayed after school regularly to boost his grades, and started volunteering. When Waritu graduated on time, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Portland State University (PSU), where he majored in international studies and black studies, and minored in sociology and civic leadership.
While in college, Waritu continued to push himself hard, never forgetting the children back home in Ethiopia. In 2006, he created the Gadab Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for books and other educational materials to Oromia students who enroll in high school and universities.
Starting the nonprofit was an easy decision for Waritu, who believes in giving back. “Whatever opportunity has been given to me…if the same opportunity is given to someone else, then they may do something greater than what I have,” he says. “I feel obligated…I’ve gotten this far so how can I give back?”
To date, the Gadab Foundation has helped 27 students continue their education in the Oromia region. “I know the situation which they come from and I will never forget,” he says. “I promised that I would do something back there and what better thing can one do than to help someone attain their goals through education. By educating one child then you are impacting the entire community.”
Waritu had never considered Harvard as an option for his own schooling until a professor at PSU encouraged him to look in to it. Currently a student in the Risk and Prevention Program, Waritu is interested in developing a prevention program for dropouts. He plans to continue his education and pursue doctoral studies in education, examining the factors that lead to dropouts.
Despite all that Waritu has overcome, he remains humble about everything he has achieved and is impressed by his fellow students. “Harvard makes you believe that you can do anything, especially my colleagues with their amazing backgrounds,” he says, grinning widely. “I keep thinking, ‘Wow — I want to do that.” In fact, Waritu’s dreams of what he wants to achieve keep growing. Recently, he told his fiance, ‘I want to build a university.’ She looked at him and replied, “You need to get a job first.”
40 Comments