a motivation to catch a dream

this past week i spent over 10 voluntary hours helping refugee students with computer related stuff, like addressing problems and giving lessons. just yesterday i spent the whole day with a student in his first year of highschool. he's only 16 years old. he has atleast 5 brothers and sisters. his father is the only working parent, therefore the only source of family income. not too long ago his mother went to the hospital, so now they're stuck with a medical bill that is just killing them with montly interest accumulations. so this kid, this 16 year old kid, has these big dreams. i mean big, admirable dreams. he wants to get out of his ESL class because everybody else there fools around in class creating a pointless environment. he consistently asks me about earnings figures for various career paths and the sources of financial support to help fund his college years. he thinks he wants to be an engineer or a doctor, IF he doesn't become a backetball player in which case he'd make millions. and he wants all this for a very good reason. he knows how much his father makes, which is not a whole lot. but he also knows that compared to other jobs that it's pretty good pay. this kid, this honest and hard-working kid, is dying to help his family. getting a driver's license would be one thing that could greatly help. so he tells me it's about $200 to get one from a driving school. trouble is he needs $200. everything costs money. so this kid is determined to get a summer job.

i realized how tough it is for him. he doesn't have a fluent grasp of the english language. he's in highschool and has all these things he wants to do, like build webpages, learn about computers, help his parents, and make a living. i didn't realize just how spoiled i was. i didn't get how easy i've had it. to be able to have everything paid for is such a sheltering way to live. the least i could do for him was offer everything that had been freely available to me. so we drove around the neighborhood looking and applying for summer jobs. and he's not picky either. his honesty shows from his willingness to do anything from packing boxes, flipping burgers, and washing dishes. of all individuals i know, whether refugee or not, this kid has got it. although i have every belief that he'll succeed, i still cross my fingers and hope and pray that he'll make it.