Monisha Rai recently spoke at the 2/10 Board Meeting and did a great job representing North High School. Here is her report.
"My Name is Monisha Rai. I am a senior at North High School in the Biomedical Science pathway of Health and Human Services.
North High School is ranked in the top 5% of the most diverse schools in Ohio. There are currently 880 students enrolled with students representing over 20 countries. There are approximately 19 different languages spoken at my school and countless cultures.
On March 6th at 8:00 AM in the North High School Auditorium, we are hosting our annual Cultural Fair. The Culture Fair is a culmination of all of our student’s stories coming together. Students will have a fashion show, cultural dance, singing and food. Congolese, Nepali, Mexican, and Afghanistan students will wear their cultural dress, dance and sing to their native music. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and everyone's invited. Mrs. Deblasio, the ELA teacher, is the coordinator of the Cultural Fair.
While my friends are at the cultural fair, I will be interviewing for the 1,500 dollars Rotary Scholarship. I have a cumulative GPA of 3.96 and I am ranked 2nd in my class. I am already accepted at the University of Akron, and I am the first person in my family to go to college.
I arrived in the United States in 2012 from Nepal. I spoke a very limited amount of English. It was hard for me to communicate with people because of my language barrier. Everything was new and strange. For example, I had never eaten Peanut Butter and Jelly, pizza, or Cheetos.
The education system in Akron Public School is very different and much better than in Nepal. There are more resources like staff, technologies, and programs to help students succeed. The staff at the North includes family liaisons, Refugee liaisons, and interpreters. Monthly meetings are held with the families of international students. The interpreting staff attends the meetings and provides parents with school information like how to read report cards and graduation requirements.
All calls, mailings, and videos to families are translated into different languages. There are even videos translated into different languages on how to select a pathway. It is very helpful for my mom to receive all the calls from the school in Nepali. It helps her understand what is happening at the school. In Nepal, there weren’t any computers or Chromebooks available in the classroom. At North, having technology helps me and my peers go deeper into our studies and understand the English Language better.
A program like JOG gives students the opportunity to exceed in leadership skills, develop employability skills and soft skills. Currently, through JOG I am employed at Global Kitchen as a server. It allows me to use soft skills such as communicating effectively and teamwork."