coming to america-then and now
MVB has always embraced the new arrivals to our country, providing them the education to pursue the American dream. Here are two students separated by fifty years, yet the stories sound quite similar. Coming from far away, not speaking the language, and not just adapting to high school, but thriving, with the support of the dedicated teachers and staff.
1966
My first Van Buren memory is fear! … pure paralyzing fear. My Aunt Stella brought me to the school during the last week of August 1966, to register me as a new student. As we approached the front door I just froze up and for a few seconds I could not move. My Aunt, being a very no-nonsense type of gal, practically dragged me inside, without any sympathy for my high anxiety. For background, only 2 months before this first trip to MVB, I literally just got off the boat (steamship) which brought me from my native Poland to New York City. I spent my first American summer vacation meeting my many US relatives, discovering the city, and being totally dazzled by my new surroundings.
I was sixteen when I emigrated from Poland, where I already completed three years of high school, with relatively decent grades. And, although I have taken a year of English in Poland, upon my arrival I would give my knowledge of English a 3 out of 100, which grew a bit to about an 8 by the time I first entered MVB. Practically speaking, I knew, at best, a few words and phrases … long way from being capable of attending a proper academic high school. But Van Buren quickly changed all that.
Registering me in the new school was relatively simple and quick. But, determining where I should fit, and what should I study, took another ~4 hours. Recall, I already did 3 years of HS in Poland, and I was about a year ahead of my age group. My Aunt who spoke a very passable Polish for never having been to Poland (and of course, perfect English being a US native) worked hard with several teachers to translate my Polish report cards into English. It also helped that I brought with me a handful of my Polish textbooks which showed what material I have already covered.
By the end of this tumultuous first day it was declared that I will be a Junior. And, my new curriculum was brilliantly simple -- and entirely focused on one overriding objective –- learn English as quickly as you possibly can. I did get to take Math., Chemistry, and Russian like other Juniors, but since I was generally ahead of my VB peers in those subjects, I would concentrate on learning these subjects in my new language. Then came two of my most memorable (and ultimately helpful) courses that semester -- Speech Clinic, and English for Foreigners. (At that time MVB HS was wonderfully set to bring students from other countries, as well as Americans for whom English was their second, or even third language., and get them fluent in English by the graduation time).
In these two special courses I was delivered into the hands of two super-caring, lovable and tough-as-nails Jewish mothers who were totally determined to pound the basics of the English language and speech into the heads and mouths of about 20+ students. Their methods did sometime verge on corporal punishment … like Mrs. Newton “wrapping me on the mouth” numerous times to get my voice box to properly pronounce the words like “the” and “therefore” (an impossible sound for any Slav). I want to be sure to underscore here that what she and Mrs. Rabinowitz did was amazing, and most appreciated by us students, even if it shocked us a bit in the beginning. Importantly, my English was getting quickly better and better. By the end of that first semester I would have given myself a 55 out of a 100 …. long way from fluency, but a most welcome progress.
In the second semester of my Junior year, my curriculum included all the usual suspects, and two truly fun courses – Economics, and Music Appreciation. I was raised in a socialist/communist eco-political system; Economics introduced me to the basic functioning of capitalism. The Music course was just nothing short of unapologetic delight. I was raised on classical European music, and have learned to play some piano. Mr. Santonochito quickly recognized my love for music in general, and proceeded to expose me to the music I new less about – American composers like Gershwin, Copeland, jazz, and most especially the American Broadway musicals. Realizing the need to grow my English skills, Mr. S gave me an old and well-worn record of “My Fair Lady”, a libretto of its songs, and told me to learn all the songs/recitations of Rex Harrison as Prof. Higgins. That also helped a lot, and by the end of my junior year I was feeling much more comfortable with my new language. That is, until I got the PSAT results …. which basically told me I had a long way to go, and by the way, college was not likely in the cards.
By the second semester of my Junior year I was doing especially well in chemistry, and here is where I first met my two archangels – Dr. Joseph Castka (Chair of the Chem. Dept.), and Ms. Patricia Robbins – a teacher who ran the chemistry labs. And these two amazing people just took me under their wings, and proceeded to redefine the rest of my academic life – in high school and as well as college. Just about the time I was deeply depressed about my PSAT scores and poor likelihood of getting to college, these two wonderful teachers really got after me with lots of encouragement and occasional “readings of the riot act”. They insisted that I will go to college, that PSATs were just the first tests, and the ones that really mattered were the SATs which I will be taking in my Senior year.
Importantly, they absolutely insisted on two things. First thing was that at the SATs I not only take the required English and Math., but that I also take the Chemistry exam. And this was a truly brilliant guidance – I aced the Math. and Chem. Tests, and predictably, did poorly in English (esp. the grammar part). While I sent out a bunch of college applications, my two archangels absolutely insisted I also apply to Columbia University in NYC. Honestly, I though they were crazy. On my Mom’s minimum wage salary I could not afford even the subway fare, never mind the tuition and fees, which were more than my Mom made in the entire year. But, what I did not know was that Dr. Castka and Mrs. Robbins were both Columbia alumni, with very close connections to the university.
Well, I did get accepted into several colleges. But what sent me totally over the moon – I was accepted to Columbia University’s School of Engineering. I will never forget the weekend of shear agony I spent reading over and over the acceptance letter, and weeping with fear because the letter offering a full scholarship did not arrive until the following week. (I was told the two letters – acceptance and scholarship - would arrive together). But, I made it, just like my two archangels predicted. Even now, 51 years later, I often offer a prayer of gratitude for those five angels who propelled me on a career I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. Thank you, Martin Van Buren HS, you completely changed the trajectory of my life.
Today, I am fast approaching the 70th year of my life, and am working on an update to my Last Will and Testament. My education has brought me a very satisfying 30-year career with Procter and Gamble, which also gave me enough money to retire early. When my time on this earth is over, a large chunk of my estate will go to my family. But there will also be a generous bequest going to my High School. I certainly could not have made it without MVB.
Jacek J. Kedziora; Class of ‘68
I was sixteen when I emigrated from Poland, where I already completed three years of high school, with relatively decent grades. And, although I have taken a year of English in Poland, upon my arrival I would give my knowledge of English a 3 out of 100, which grew a bit to about an 8 by the time I first entered MVB. Practically speaking, I knew, at best, a few words and phrases … long way from being capable of attending a proper academic high school. But Van Buren quickly changed all that.
Registering me in the new school was relatively simple and quick. But, determining where I should fit, and what should I study, took another ~4 hours. Recall, I already did 3 years of HS in Poland, and I was about a year ahead of my age group. My Aunt who spoke a very passable Polish for never having been to Poland (and of course, perfect English being a US native) worked hard with several teachers to translate my Polish report cards into English. It also helped that I brought with me a handful of my Polish textbooks which showed what material I have already covered.
By the end of this tumultuous first day it was declared that I will be a Junior. And, my new curriculum was brilliantly simple -- and entirely focused on one overriding objective –- learn English as quickly as you possibly can. I did get to take Math., Chemistry, and Russian like other Juniors, but since I was generally ahead of my VB peers in those subjects, I would concentrate on learning these subjects in my new language. Then came two of my most memorable (and ultimately helpful) courses that semester -- Speech Clinic, and English for Foreigners. (At that time MVB HS was wonderfully set to bring students from other countries, as well as Americans for whom English was their second, or even third language., and get them fluent in English by the graduation time).
In these two special courses I was delivered into the hands of two super-caring, lovable and tough-as-nails Jewish mothers who were totally determined to pound the basics of the English language and speech into the heads and mouths of about 20+ students. Their methods did sometime verge on corporal punishment … like Mrs. Newton “wrapping me on the mouth” numerous times to get my voice box to properly pronounce the words like “the” and “therefore” (an impossible sound for any Slav). I want to be sure to underscore here that what she and Mrs. Rabinowitz did was amazing, and most appreciated by us students, even if it shocked us a bit in the beginning. Importantly, my English was getting quickly better and better. By the end of that first semester I would have given myself a 55 out of a 100 …. long way from fluency, but a most welcome progress.
In the second semester of my Junior year, my curriculum included all the usual suspects, and two truly fun courses – Economics, and Music Appreciation. I was raised in a socialist/communist eco-political system; Economics introduced me to the basic functioning of capitalism. The Music course was just nothing short of unapologetic delight. I was raised on classical European music, and have learned to play some piano. Mr. Santonochito quickly recognized my love for music in general, and proceeded to expose me to the music I new less about – American composers like Gershwin, Copeland, jazz, and most especially the American Broadway musicals. Realizing the need to grow my English skills, Mr. S gave me an old and well-worn record of “My Fair Lady”, a libretto of its songs, and told me to learn all the songs/recitations of Rex Harrison as Prof. Higgins. That also helped a lot, and by the end of my junior year I was feeling much more comfortable with my new language. That is, until I got the PSAT results …. which basically told me I had a long way to go, and by the way, college was not likely in the cards.
By the second semester of my Junior year I was doing especially well in chemistry, and here is where I first met my two archangels – Dr. Joseph Castka (Chair of the Chem. Dept.), and Ms. Patricia Robbins – a teacher who ran the chemistry labs. And these two amazing people just took me under their wings, and proceeded to redefine the rest of my academic life – in high school and as well as college. Just about the time I was deeply depressed about my PSAT scores and poor likelihood of getting to college, these two wonderful teachers really got after me with lots of encouragement and occasional “readings of the riot act”. They insisted that I will go to college, that PSATs were just the first tests, and the ones that really mattered were the SATs which I will be taking in my Senior year.
Importantly, they absolutely insisted on two things. First thing was that at the SATs I not only take the required English and Math., but that I also take the Chemistry exam. And this was a truly brilliant guidance – I aced the Math. and Chem. Tests, and predictably, did poorly in English (esp. the grammar part). While I sent out a bunch of college applications, my two archangels absolutely insisted I also apply to Columbia University in NYC. Honestly, I though they were crazy. On my Mom’s minimum wage salary I could not afford even the subway fare, never mind the tuition and fees, which were more than my Mom made in the entire year. But, what I did not know was that Dr. Castka and Mrs. Robbins were both Columbia alumni, with very close connections to the university.
Well, I did get accepted into several colleges. But what sent me totally over the moon – I was accepted to Columbia University’s School of Engineering. I will never forget the weekend of shear agony I spent reading over and over the acceptance letter, and weeping with fear because the letter offering a full scholarship did not arrive until the following week. (I was told the two letters – acceptance and scholarship - would arrive together). But, I made it, just like my two archangels predicted. Even now, 51 years later, I often offer a prayer of gratitude for those five angels who propelled me on a career I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. Thank you, Martin Van Buren HS, you completely changed the trajectory of my life.
Today, I am fast approaching the 70th year of my life, and am working on an update to my Last Will and Testament. My education has brought me a very satisfying 30-year career with Procter and Gamble, which also gave me enough money to retire early. When my time on this earth is over, a large chunk of my estate will go to my family. But there will also be a generous bequest going to my High School. I certainly could not have made it without MVB.
Jacek J. Kedziora; Class of ‘68
2016
“Mame Diarra, how are you still going to this school?” is the reaction of my classmate after I told her that I had an hour and a half commute to school every morning. My answer sounded something like “I don’t really know,” but that wasn’t very true. The reality was that Martin Van Buren High School is the place where a lot of the biggest turning points in my life occurred. I always believed that music was going to be the sole focus of my life. Although I was born in Florida, I grew up in Senegal with a family in which everyone was an artist. My dad, Habib Faye, was the musical center of our family. He was a bassist and singer. I listened to music from all genres and fell in love with making sounds. Hence, I started to go to a music academy at ten years old.
When I came to the United States four years ago, one of the first things I did was register to a new music school. I recall Mrs. Fried’s smile at me from behind her set up table the day of my Freshman orientation. She told me about the different things the honor society at MVB, Scholars does and I couldn’t wait to be able to be a part of the organization. I didn’t realize at the time, but this was a watershed moment. I tutored classmates in math and science and participated in job shadowing opportunities offered at companies like CISCO. Currently, I am Scholars President and my main role involves participating closely with the planning of the multiple events we have such as fundraisings, bake sales and clothing and food drives.
In Senegal, I spoke French, Wolof, which is the national language, and Al Pular, which is one of the country’s native languages. So, coming back to the U.S., I turned from making sure I use the right gender pronouns for inanimate objects to just using “the” to describe everything. At home, my aunt who I lived with only spoke English which really helped me communicate better in the language. I was in English as a New Language classes during my freshman year, but I didn’t worry so much about the language. For me, I was just learning. I wasn’t made to feel different. My learning was even more seamless with math, mostly because numbers are international. Still, I had found a method to decode words I didn’t understand: writing them down and finding their roots in Romance languages. The first English book I finished reading was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Although I took some pauses at words like « ramshackle » and «exodus », the fact that I read in a language I thought was just for recreational purposes a year before was baffling and prompted me to be more confident in my speaking skills.
I got into honor and AP classes in my sophomore year which is when I joined the Science Research Program. In my personal life, my dad had recently passed away but I pushed through it. During the same time period, I learned about the Questbridge chapter for juniors and after many applications, I was named a College Prep Scholar which distinguished me as a « high-achieving high school junior from a low-income background » (Questbridge website) Simultaneously, nine classmates and I had the opportunity to go to the University of Southern California Wrigley Institute for Earthwatch in the Catalina Islands by the efforts of Mrs.Wang and Mr. Wilson after months of fundraising. The learning began on the boat to the island, with us getting lectures from USC staff and being directed to list any marine mammals we saw on the way. The best part was meeting the incredible people of the institution. I was baffled by their dedication to our learning. How often do sea lions stay at the shores? Why do dolphins travel in packs? How do we reduce negative human impacts on sea life more effectively? Their ability to answer all of my questions in a thought-provoking way from the lab to the lunch table was inspiring to me because it proved that I also could find a passion that I would enjoy doing day in and day out.
My curiosity didn’t stop at that. I joined the Robotics Club, founded our school’s first math club, sang at international festivals, and I was never made to choose. I joined the Girls Who Code chapter at the school through which I had the opportunity to intern at Morgan Stanley and was impressed by the endless possibility of change I could make with computer science. I got to meet several computer scientists from different fields. One thing they all had in common was that they all worked in cybersecurity. At one occasion, we had a simulation with the scenario of a cyber attacker trying to break into the bank’s client's webpage. The other girls and I were separated into three groups and I belonged to the analyst one. Our task was to clarify whether there was a real threat and who the hacker was from the patterns we saw in the number of log-ins in the bank’s website within three hours. Although it was only a simulation, it felt real since everyone was playing along and everyone else’s input helped me see things I didn’t see before they pointed them out. This experience clarified the fact that being a computer scientist was also a career I could look into. So, with the help of two talented friends, I created “Beauty and the Bleach” (beautyandthebleach.info), an informative website about the dangerous use of skin bleaching products. With this website, I was able to discover an activist heart while using computer science.
Another landmark moment was deciding to commit my lunch periods to work in the college office every day during my junior year. As a college leader, I help my peers register for FAFSA, SATs, ACTs, college fairs and other applications. I was fortunate enough to work closely with my college counselor, Mrs. Stamberg and learn about scholarship opportunities like Questbridge. The Questbridge Scholarship which is a full 4-year scholarship. It was a rigorous process that required me to finish my essays, supplements, and financial aid registrations extremely early. On December 2nd, I received the news that I was matched to Yale for a full scholarship. For many students like me, Yale always seems like a faraway dream that you only hear about that will never meet your specific financial needs. We don’t actually think of it as a real place. But the Questbridge process helped me to embrace that dream and not let my obstacles stop me from accomplishing it. I am currently planning on going into Biomedical sciences. MVB allowed me to do things that I wouldn’t think I would be able to do. The lesson I will take away from my four years is that my possibilities are endless. I sang at concerts on Saturdays, analyzed microorganism data on Mondays and coded a website on Thursdays. I found out that my path doesn’t have to be linear, the essential is that I am working to my full potential in whatever shape my interests guide me.
That is why I choose to spend three hours on the New York City public transport every day.
by Mame Diarria Faye; Class of 2020
Mame Diarria's future looks bright as she contemplates where to attend college, having been accepted to Harvard, Stamford, Princeton and Yale. We wish her well and look forward to her achieving great things, like so many of our alumni, just like Jacek.
When I came to the United States four years ago, one of the first things I did was register to a new music school. I recall Mrs. Fried’s smile at me from behind her set up table the day of my Freshman orientation. She told me about the different things the honor society at MVB, Scholars does and I couldn’t wait to be able to be a part of the organization. I didn’t realize at the time, but this was a watershed moment. I tutored classmates in math and science and participated in job shadowing opportunities offered at companies like CISCO. Currently, I am Scholars President and my main role involves participating closely with the planning of the multiple events we have such as fundraisings, bake sales and clothing and food drives.
In Senegal, I spoke French, Wolof, which is the national language, and Al Pular, which is one of the country’s native languages. So, coming back to the U.S., I turned from making sure I use the right gender pronouns for inanimate objects to just using “the” to describe everything. At home, my aunt who I lived with only spoke English which really helped me communicate better in the language. I was in English as a New Language classes during my freshman year, but I didn’t worry so much about the language. For me, I was just learning. I wasn’t made to feel different. My learning was even more seamless with math, mostly because numbers are international. Still, I had found a method to decode words I didn’t understand: writing them down and finding their roots in Romance languages. The first English book I finished reading was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Although I took some pauses at words like « ramshackle » and «exodus », the fact that I read in a language I thought was just for recreational purposes a year before was baffling and prompted me to be more confident in my speaking skills.
I got into honor and AP classes in my sophomore year which is when I joined the Science Research Program. In my personal life, my dad had recently passed away but I pushed through it. During the same time period, I learned about the Questbridge chapter for juniors and after many applications, I was named a College Prep Scholar which distinguished me as a « high-achieving high school junior from a low-income background » (Questbridge website) Simultaneously, nine classmates and I had the opportunity to go to the University of Southern California Wrigley Institute for Earthwatch in the Catalina Islands by the efforts of Mrs.Wang and Mr. Wilson after months of fundraising. The learning began on the boat to the island, with us getting lectures from USC staff and being directed to list any marine mammals we saw on the way. The best part was meeting the incredible people of the institution. I was baffled by their dedication to our learning. How often do sea lions stay at the shores? Why do dolphins travel in packs? How do we reduce negative human impacts on sea life more effectively? Their ability to answer all of my questions in a thought-provoking way from the lab to the lunch table was inspiring to me because it proved that I also could find a passion that I would enjoy doing day in and day out.
My curiosity didn’t stop at that. I joined the Robotics Club, founded our school’s first math club, sang at international festivals, and I was never made to choose. I joined the Girls Who Code chapter at the school through which I had the opportunity to intern at Morgan Stanley and was impressed by the endless possibility of change I could make with computer science. I got to meet several computer scientists from different fields. One thing they all had in common was that they all worked in cybersecurity. At one occasion, we had a simulation with the scenario of a cyber attacker trying to break into the bank’s client's webpage. The other girls and I were separated into three groups and I belonged to the analyst one. Our task was to clarify whether there was a real threat and who the hacker was from the patterns we saw in the number of log-ins in the bank’s website within three hours. Although it was only a simulation, it felt real since everyone was playing along and everyone else’s input helped me see things I didn’t see before they pointed them out. This experience clarified the fact that being a computer scientist was also a career I could look into. So, with the help of two talented friends, I created “Beauty and the Bleach” (beautyandthebleach.info), an informative website about the dangerous use of skin bleaching products. With this website, I was able to discover an activist heart while using computer science.
Another landmark moment was deciding to commit my lunch periods to work in the college office every day during my junior year. As a college leader, I help my peers register for FAFSA, SATs, ACTs, college fairs and other applications. I was fortunate enough to work closely with my college counselor, Mrs. Stamberg and learn about scholarship opportunities like Questbridge. The Questbridge Scholarship which is a full 4-year scholarship. It was a rigorous process that required me to finish my essays, supplements, and financial aid registrations extremely early. On December 2nd, I received the news that I was matched to Yale for a full scholarship. For many students like me, Yale always seems like a faraway dream that you only hear about that will never meet your specific financial needs. We don’t actually think of it as a real place. But the Questbridge process helped me to embrace that dream and not let my obstacles stop me from accomplishing it. I am currently planning on going into Biomedical sciences. MVB allowed me to do things that I wouldn’t think I would be able to do. The lesson I will take away from my four years is that my possibilities are endless. I sang at concerts on Saturdays, analyzed microorganism data on Mondays and coded a website on Thursdays. I found out that my path doesn’t have to be linear, the essential is that I am working to my full potential in whatever shape my interests guide me.
That is why I choose to spend three hours on the New York City public transport every day.
by Mame Diarria Faye; Class of 2020
Mame Diarria's future looks bright as she contemplates where to attend college, having been accepted to Harvard, Stamford, Princeton and Yale. We wish her well and look forward to her achieving great things, like so many of our alumni, just like Jacek.
