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14 • GCU MAGAZ I NE
provide for my parents just like they have for
me,” Fornes said.
Fornes was left behind along with his older
brother, Carlos. And yet, despite having to
become self-reliant, despite having to keep his
home life a secret and despite not knowing when
he’ll get to see his family again, Fornes remained
focused on his education. He plans to become
an engineer.
It’s no wonder that Fornes’ speech at the
Students Inspiring Students celebration was
filled with emotion. He struggled through
several long pauses before he was able to
finish his message. The reason: It was the
first time he had shared with a group what
it meant to have a shot at attending college,
apart from his family.
“Even though I had practiced before so
many times,” he said, “it was in that moment
that everything came to me.”
Fornes has the heart of a servant — he
smiles, he’s willing and he carries the right
motivation in everything that he does, said
Myrna Fornes, his aunt.
“He is the perfect example of what it means
to grow through life’s challenges,” Myrna said.
“Because of that, we know he deserves this
opportunity and we are grateful to God.”
Language barrier
Sabuni was 11 when she took on the heavy task
of learning a new language and adapting to a
new culture. It wasn’t an easy adjustment.
“I was bullied and made fun of a lot because
of the way I pronounced certain words,”
said Sabuni, now 18. “It was hard and it was
concerning, but I knew it was another test in
my life that I would have to pass to see the
great things ahead.”
Now, Sabuni said, those great things
are starting to become real. She is proud of
graduating from nearby Alhambra High School.
“I am a refugee, a minority, an immigrant in
a country with many intelligent people, and I
was able to do something so big,” Sabuni said.
Even though her family’s circumstances
have improved slightly, Sabuni worked
while going to school in order to contribute
financially to her French-speaking parents and
her siblings.
“As a child, I sawmy family struggle a lot —
my dad worked two jobs, my momworked at
a meat factory and I wasn’t fortunate to have
the life of a normal child,” she said. “I want my
younger siblings to know that you can cultivate
what you want with the very little that you have.”
Sabuni plans to become an entrepreneur
and hopes to serve as an inspiration to other
refugees. Someday, she would like to open an
orphanage.
“In Tanzania, we used to live next to an
orphanage where my mother would take
food to the children, and I would see that
and feel that calling within my heart,”
Sabuni said. “Although what we had was
very little, I was lucky to have parents who
provided me with a roof. I was lucky to have
water and to have food.
“I know that I can’t save the world, but I can
save the world of some.”
That’s exactly what GCU is trying to do,
too.
“I know that
I can’t save the
world, but I can
save the world
of some.”
— JANE SABUNI