Refugee advocates appreciation of education

In 1987, 10-year-old Gabriel Bol Deng's peaceful existence was shattered when North Sudan Arab militiamen attacked his village. He narrowly escaped death several times, dodging bullets, climbing a tree to escape a lion, crossing the Nile River and walking barefoot for four months across the desert to reach a refugee camp in Ethiopia. He fled Sudan not knowing if his family had survived the attacks.

"Can you imagine your parents telling you that you can move a mountain?" Deng asked the audience Monday in the University Center Ballrooms during his speech "Lost Boy of Sudan."

Deng said the Ethiopian civil war in 1991 drove him to another refugee camp in Kenya, where he remained until 2001. His education began under a tree in Ethiopia at age 13 and continued in Kenya. When Deng came to the United States in 2001, he earned his GED, followed by an associate of arts degree in mathematics and science at Onondaga Community College in 2004, and a bachelor's degree in mathematics education and philosophy from La Moyne College in 2007.

Deng said he is currently pursuing his master's degree in mathematics education at Le Moyne. He said he always knew that learning was the key to success, helping him overcome his many hardships.

"When you have difficulties, call on your education," Deng said. "I knew education would get me out of poverty and make me a useful tool to help others."

Deng's commitment to education motivated him to establish Hope for Ariang, an organization that provides education and health services for children in his native Sudan. He returned for the first time in 2007 and reunited with his three surviving siblings and helped build a school. The organization continues to grow and provide more aid. His visit was the subject of the documentary film "Rebuilding Hope."

Kayla Meek, a sophomore special education major, said she enjoyed hearing Deng's experience and what was in his heart.

"It's important to find the best out of every situation," she said.  "You can't wallow in tragedy."

Brad Comklin, an art education  graduate student and volunteer at Central High School where Deng helps students who are new to the U.S., said he was excited to see how positively the students reacted to Deng. He said he was also reminded how much people in the U.S. take simple things for granted.

"For us, running water is no big deal," Comklin said.  "For them, it changes their entire future."

Deng's message was clear: never give up hope, be resilient, be respectful, maintain a positive attitude, be grateful for what you have and take nothing for granted. He said his philosophy has helped him climb the mountains his father taught him about long ago. Now he is sharing it with others to help them climb their own mountains.

"Believe in your dreams," he said. "If you don't give up, you can be successful."