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Nguyen Huy Vu
Sunday, June 08, 2003 - Samsam Saleh stands confidently in front of her honors social-studies class and talks about Oman, a country in the Middle East, as a part of a class assignment. She explains the country's governmental and economic system, its food, culture and its opinions about the Palestinian and Israeli conflict.
"While I was in Egypt, I wasn't a shy student. I was the class president," she said. "It doesn't really bother me to speak in public."
But what is impressive is how far Saleh has come since arriving in Tukwila when she was 14. She came from Egypt knowing nothing more than the English alphabet and terms such as "hello" and "good morning."
Born in Somalia, she was taken at age 2 from the East African nation - and her parents and siblings - when war broke out. She eventually settled in Egypt with her grandmother and cousin. She moved to Tukwila in 2000 with her grandmother and enrolled in the eighth grade.
Within two years, she moved from English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes to honors classes.
Saleh, 17, maintained a 3.84 grade-point average and speaks four languages: Arabic, Somali, English and studied French for the past three years. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and the speech and debate teams. She also tutors third- and fourth-graders at Cascade View Elementary.
At night, she takes writing, algebra and physiology classes at the local community college. "I like to be busy," she said.
PROUDEST MOMENT: "When I first started ESL class, I couldn't even understand what the teachers were saying to me. But I read every night before I went to bed, even if I didn't know what the words were. By the end of the semester, I felt confident and I wanted to try harder and went to honors classes my junior year."
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS: Saleh will attend the University of Washington, where she plans to become a doctor, and hopes to work for the United Nations.
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