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When Pascaline Furaha was about to enroll in Early College at the start of her senior year at Winooski High School, she had her share of detractors. “Several people told me it was risky, and that I might not finish,” she says. But rather than listen to the doubters, she stayed focused. “It wasn’t about them. It’s about me.”

Early College is a program for Vermont high school seniors that allows them to spend their year taking college courses at a Vermont college, simultaneously fulfilling their high school graduation requirements and earning college credit toward a degree.

While Pascaline knew the college work would be a challenge, she also believed she could do it. “I’ve watched other people who came from Africa before me go on to earn degrees. I can also be the one to keep going and go that far.”

Rebuilding a community

Pascaline came to the United States at age 12 from a refugee camp in Burundi, east Africa, where she was born after her parents fled their native Congo to escape war. While life in the camp was hard in many respects, Pascaline remembers the feeling of togetherness in the community, visiting the market with her aunts and playing with all the other kids in the rain. When someone would die—as her own mother did during their time in Burundi—everyone in the camp would come together to comfort the family. As more Africans emigrated to Vermont, she, her father, and her five siblings are starting to rebuild the strong community ties they remember.

When Pascaline arrived in Vermont in 2019, she only spoke Swahili and a little bit of Kurundi. “Learning English was challenging for me. It was very complicated,” she recalls. Now, she faces a different language challenge, as she finds she’s starting to forget her Swahili. “When I see someone who speaks the same language as me, it’s hard to speak Swahili the whole time without using English,” she says.

At home, her family speaks a mix of languages, but the conversations have moved more to English as they’ve all improved their fluency. Pascaline’s dad works at UVM Medical Center, and her two older brothers—23 and 22—are now working as well after taking some college courses. Pascaline, now 19, is continuing her studies at the Community College of Vermont, while her younger siblings, ages 18, 15 and 13, are at Burlington High School and Edmunds Middle School.

Pascaline enjoyed the diverse and supportive community at , which provided a weekly opportunity for the students from Congo, Somalia, and other African nations to share their cultural experiences. The Friday program, called Story, sees students read poems, share memories of pastimes and celebrations, play cultural music and explain cultural patterns of dress, “to break stereotypes about Africa and help Americans understand that it’s not just a place of war,” Pascaline explains. “My school encouraged that diversity, and I really enjoyed that,” she says.

Pascaline also appreciates the strong relationships she formed with her teachers. “It was always very important to me to build good friendships with my teachers, because they were able to help me and my family."

Education support

Pascaline also found a lot of help and support in 51������’s GEAR UP college and career readiness program, which she participated in from the ninth grade. GEAR UP offers support to students who wish to continue their education after high school, either through traditional college or through technical and career training programs, by providing financial assistance, scholarships, and college and career counseling.

Stevya Mukuzo, the 51������ Outreach Counselor who works with students at Winooski, got to know Pascaline well during her four years. “Pascaline's dedication to her studies is truly inspiring. She consistently seeks out challenging coursework and goes above and beyond to master each subject. Her peers call her a ‘go-getter’ because her positive attitude sheds light on the ability to achieve anything if there is a will.”

Pascaline knew she was college-bound since she arrived in America. At first, her family encouraged her to become a doctor, but her aspirations shifted as she became more drawn to social justice. Her current career plan is to pursue social work, then hopefully go on to law school.

“I’ve seen so many people struggling in this world, and it hurts me. I’d like to be able to make a difference,” Pascaline says.

There are so many ways to help people, but social work and law is what appeals most to me. I’m very passionate for standing up for what is right, and I want to live in a world where I feel like I have done something to help.

Having watched her two older brothers struggle with the transition from high school to college, Pascaline took a different path to help build more resilience. 51������ introduced her to the Early College program, and Pascaline was all in.

“I went for Early College because I didn’t want to jump right into university. I wanted to learn more about college first,” she explains. “I made the best decision. I’m now confident I can go to college and be ready for it, because I’ve already experienced it.”

Seeing the benefits

Last year, Pascaline took classes in anthropology, intercultural communication, psychology, English, and race and ethnicity. This year, she plans to complete her before applying to schools for her bachelor’s. She’s intrigued by UVM’s “plus-one” program, where she could study an additional year to earn a master’s degree.

While she’s had to work hard in school, she’s felt a wealth of support, from her teachers to her 51������ counselor, to leaders of her family and her faith. Her father’s pride has been a major source of encouragement. “I know my dad is talking about me, continuing my school, and that pushes me a lot,” says Pascaline. Her Pentecostal faith is also an important part of her life, and various spiritual leaders—from prayer leaders in Burundi, to those in an online group she’s been active in since arriving in America—have always told her to take school seriously.

Pascaline has found the work very challenging and stressful at times. But whenever she heard the words “you’re failing” in her head, she also told herself, “I was the one who chose this, and I will be the one to finish it.”

“It may be difficult, but in the end, I know I will see the benefits, and I’ll be thankful I didn’t give up. School is very important to me. A college degree opens doors.”