Great to Have Kanyea Back on Mt. Pleasant for a Weekend. Moving Up In The World

He's back. After graduating from University of Illinois-Urbana, working for me for a summer, then taking a job at Onondaga Community College mentoring first generation students, Kanyea returned to Connecticut to high five before he begins a new career with Bank of New York - Melon.

Funny how it goes, as he applied to the Peace Corps and after a year of the process, many recommendations and interviews, he was selected to serve in Ethiopia. The only thing hindering him from going was trying to give sublet his leased vehicle for the 3 years he'd be gone. I was trying to maneuver any potential submitter I could find in Syracuse, but there were no bites.

Then Kanyea calls me and asks, "Can you give me advice?" He was offered full time work with BNY Mellon and didn't know what he should do with the Peace Corp. I did a Sue McV and only asked questions so he could process what he really wanted to do. In my heart, I thought, "This kid knows the struggles of Ethiopia because he's battled both as a refugee in Ghana and then as a parentless kid in the United States."

In the end he decided on the finance job and I said, "You made a good decision. I think you've mastered the 3rd world struggle thing. It's time you figure out the American dream thing."

Although this weekend's weather is going to be awful with flooding rains and high winds, we'll make the best of it. We walked and talked on the Walnut Beach yesterday and he's good for a day of shopping (he needs clothes for the job - this time in hopes that tragedy won't hit his apartment when he returns).

It's funny how it goes. I knew this kid when he was a freshman and I was doing my research. He disappeared before my study began but always kept in touch. Years go by and Abu and Lossine call me to encourage me to hire him for the summer.

I do. We reunite. The rest is history. It's good to have him back.