A high school graduate in Ohio is graduating at the top of her class after spending the first ten years of her life in a refugee camp in Uganda. Julianne Lukambo was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but owing to war, she and her family were forced to flee to Uganda.
Life in the refugee camp was difficult, but Lukambo is smiling today since she not only finished her senior year as valedictorian, but she is also the beneficiary of $240,000 in college scholarships.
“I was kind of surprised because I wasn’t like keeping count of the amount, but I think first of all I did keep my grades up throughout my entire time in high school. That’s something that helped me a lot,” she told 10 WBNS. “And also, I would say getting involved, networking, and branching out. It really helps you a lot with getting recommendations and having them [teachers] recommend you for different scholarships.”
When Lukambo’s family initially migrated to the United States in 2015, she struggled to adjust to a new environment as a fifth-grader at Valley Forge Elementary School. She was able to complete her middle and high school years because to the many activities she participated in, such as soccer, bowling, and joining a STEM Club. She took coursework at area colleges in addition to internships while attending Northland High School, and she is now one of the top scholarship earners at Northland.
Northland’s senior class has already received $5.6 million in scholarships, while Columbus City Schools graduates have earned a total of $33,172,272.00 in scholarship and aid money, according to 10 WBNS. Lukambo, who encourages others to step outside of their comfort zone, will study computer science at the University of Dayton.