"I was a baby living in the refugee camp," begins freshman Bisrat Kidane, "so I don't really remember what it was like." The camp Bisrat tells of was located in Gedaref, Sudan. "[Gedaref] is right next to the border of Eritrea, which my family is [originally] from and was forced to leave because of the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia," Kidane explains.

When asked what he misses most about East Africa, Bisrat says, "I don't know, I never really got the chance to enjoy it." He was born in the refugee camp on November 24, 1989 and lived there for only 10 months. As the war raged on, Bisrat's parents decided to leave East Africa for America to start a better life.

Just three years ago, Kidane became an American citizen. He claims one of the hardest things in adjusting to American culture has been the language barrier. "My parents taught me only how to speak Tigrinya, which is the language spoken in Eritrea," states Kidane. "Also, [another hard] thing for me was adjusting to school because I could never fit in with the students," Bisrat reveals.

Although there have been difficulties in the culture shift, Kidane loves the mentality that in America, "You have the chance to better your life." His family lives in Indianapolis where his father is a cab driver and his mother works in a factory. They are working hard to provide for their family and live 'the American dream.' "I don't visit them much since I [haven't] learned to drive," Bisrat says, "but I do call them once a week to see how they are doing."

As the oldest of four children, Bisrat strives to be a good example to his younger siblings. "I am the first one in my family to attend a University in America," Kidane tells. "To tell you the truth, it was always expected of me to go to school after high school. My parents wanted me to focus on my education so I could have a better life than them," he states. "I think that's what most parents want for their kids."

And Kidane is making the most of this opportunity of school with much to contribute to society. As a marketing major, he reveals, "What I hope to accomplish with my degree is [to] become a marketing director of my own marketing company or become a sports marketing director of a sports team," Kidane says.

"I love college much better than high school," claims Kidane, "and since my main friends on campus are my teammates, running is our favorite activity. Other than that, I would have to say eating food and hanging out."

As Kidane cannot see his family very much, it is so important that he have a strong support system of friends. Meeting his cross country teammates for the first time ranks as one of Bisrat's favorite aspects and memories of campus life. "I am a freshman, so I don't have a lot of memories [from Judson] to choose from. The one that sticks out to me is when I met my teammates for the first time," tells Kidane. "None of us knew each other until we got on campus. Now we're all the best of friends," he finishes. For Bisrat, it is such a blessing to have friends who are like family during this transitional time of life.

When asked about his biggest perceived cultural difference between Africa and America, Bisrat claims, "My parents want me to know my history and know where I come from. When it comes to Americans, most of them don't know where they came from or know their family history."

I continued to ask Bisrat what characteristics he admired most about his mom and dad. Kidane candidly began, "Wow....where do I start? I love everything about my parents," he begins. "I guess I would have to say [I most respect] how hard they work. They do everything to the best of their ability so my brothers, sister and I could enjoy the good things in life," shares Kidane, "and the best part of it all is how my parents where humble about it." Bisrat proceeds to explain, "They just enjoyed their life and made sure I got a good education."

Bisrat also credits his consideration and tolerance of others to his parents. "They taught me how to be respectful of others," he says. With a multi-cultural background, Kidane holds an advantage that most are not fortunate enough to have. Being respectful and understanding of others and where they come from is a quality that Kidane is wise to have cultivated.