Etienne Ndem
Student

Etienne is a native Houstonian and a freshman in his second semester at Lone Star College-University Park. A member of the Student Success Institute, he will graduate with an Associate of Science degree and plans to transfer to Rice University. His hobbies include volunteering for the Salvation Army, drawing and watching anime, and playing the upright bass. He also works part-time at Old Navy on the weekends.

What does Black History Month mean to you?
Rather than seeing and studying Blacks only when they were oppressed and enslaved, I believe Black History Month offers an opportunity for diversity to shine. Black History Month allows people to see American history through a new lens. Black to white, every race has in some way significantly impacted America, and Black History Month brings to the forefront Black excellence. Black History Month also celebrates the contributions made by black people in the areas of innovation and discovery. 

Why is it important that we celebrate Black culture and history?
I believe history and culture make up our identity as black individuals. Those that came before us went through tremendous strife to get us to where we are today. We cannot forget them, as that would be dishonoring the legacy of people like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks, who have dedicated their lives to furthering our community.

Who has served as a Black role model for you?
While she is not famous, I greatly look up to my mother. She is a workaholic who dedicates herself to the youth of our community. She went to school to become an educator. However, she never sought a teacher or counselor position. For ten years, she has employed her credentials to support the youth at a Boys and Girls Club. She is dedicated to mentoring, teaching and advising young people, from six to 16 years old. She has a great heart, and she lives a life of spiritual and emotional fulfillment. Her passion and wisdom make her one of the happiest people I know. She is living her best life, and that is why I look up to her.

Describe the importance of pursuing education as you were growing up?
I was taught that knowledge is power, and that it gives one the means to discover new ideas and solve problems. I took that to heart, and in elementary school, I started saving for college. I scanned the floors for fallen coins and ransacked the couch for that one quarter. I worked with a mission to pay for college. Of course, these efforts amounted to the price of one or two textbooks. However, I never stopped saving. Although I failed to save enough for college, I realized the importance of saving in general. I wanted to learn from my mistake and, as a result, I realized the value of what I did. Critical thinking like this is commonplace in an academic setting.  It allows one to reflect and evaluate situations to improve one’s everyday life. 

What challenges have you overcome? 
I have dyslexia, so reading and writing were not my strong suits. I would always flip the spelling of certain words and mix up letters like dand b. I overcame this by using a trick I made up; every time I would see a letter that I was not sure was a b or a d, I would think of how to spell my last name, which has a d in it. I could then compare it to the word I was unsure of to confirm which letter was correct. This trick improved my grades since it helped me spell words I usually struggled with when writing essays. 

“Learning from the Past to Influence Our Future” is this year’s Black History Month theme. How does this theme relate to your life?
Learning is collecting knowledge, and it is vital because it improves everyday life. I demonstrated this fact in my college money-saving story. I learned I could save for more than just college. I learned to save up for a computer, a graphing calculator, and soon a car. Saving has taught me to think critically and plan ahead; that is why I believe it fits into this year’s theme.

What is your “six-word story” in relation to your Black heritage? (example: You commit. We commit. You graduate.
Recent immigrants who found a way.