Feb 24, 2009 11:10 am US/Pacific
Alvin Somwaru and Ari Colby at SFSU
Two Students Rising Above say college is cool because of the opportunities, interesting people and...the ladies
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ―
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Alvin Somwaru and Ari Colby
CBS
Ari Colby and Alvin Somwaru are both Students Rising Above, attending San Francisco State University. They roomed together during their first summer out of high school, and their freshman year.
I couldn't stop laughing when I interviewed them - they were hilarious together - pals and co-conspirators. But later, as I read their personal statements, I had tears in my eyes, realizing what a miracle it was they were in college at all.
Alvin Somwaru came from a small, poor village in Guyana.
"I grew up in a village where people steal and rob you with guns," he said. "There was a lot of shooting and killing".
But at home, the fear was more immediate. His parent would fight, and after his dad left, Alvin said his mom's focus turned on the children.
"She used to beat us with anything she could get her hands on, wire, knife, chopper, broomstick, and sometimes, she used to burn us with hot oil," he recalled.
His aunt brought Alvin and his family to the U.S. when he was 13. She and her husband took him under their wing and showed him what a family can be. They also helped him catch up academically. He could barely read or write when he immigrated. Now, he is doing well at SFSU.
"When I first met Alvin, he was shy and really didn't say much more than one word answers," said Susan Truong, his Students Rising Above advisor. Now that's changed. "He's very outgoing now," Truong said. "Alvin has become a responsible young man."
"I've learned a lot in college," he Truong. "I really like it. I like being on his own. I've met a lot of new people and made new friends."
While Alvin was in Guyana, Ari Colby was growing up in the flats in Berkeley. At the time, he thought "it was a great place to be a kid," staying out late and missing school. Later he realized, it wasn't great at all.
Ari was growing up largely on his own, before he ended up in foster care. He was put into foster care five times before he and his siblings finally left their mom's for good.
In Albany, he was placed in a supportive, safe home, where he began to learn a different way to live.
He had to work hard to catch up in school. His teacher at Albany High, Juliet Chiarella described him as "a motivated student, a strong leader…with great integrity." He is charismatic - other students were drawn to him and would follow his cues.
At Albany he was able to academically catch up, play football, and begin to think about college and his future.
You can see that leadership in Ari as you talk with him. He listens intently, and answers thoughtfully. There is a quiet intensity to him that impresses.
Ari is doing well at SFSU, and his advisor, Susan Truong said he has grown a lot. He has come a long way from the days when he used to skip school. Ari is interested in studying Communications.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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