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It should have been his night.
He arrived from Africa four years ago and excelled at Northern Kentucky University.
On Friday, he graduated with a degree in biology.
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Kpandja Djawe is happy, sure. But he can't really celebrate. Not yet. There are still too many questions.
Will he be able to go on to graduate school?
His many friends at NKU hope the answer is yes.
"The world needs more KPs," said Patricia Connelly, a math instructor, using Djawe's nickname on campus.
She's one of several people helping him explore ways to pay for graduate school.
Djawe, pronounced "JAH-way," is from the West African nation of Togo. His father died when he was 11, and his mother sold wood for a living. He has 14 siblings.
Djawe came to the United States through his brother-in-law, Andy Long, a math professor at NKU. Long is married to Djawe's sister, Anna, whom Long met in the Peace Corps years ago.
For many semesters, Djawe, 29, has tutored other students in math while studying hard himself, Connelly said. He has a 3.5 grade point average, and he has been accepted into graduate school at the University of Michigan and Tulane University.
His dream is to earn a master's degree in epidemiology and return home to tackle the diseases that plague his continent.
Malaria, tuberculosis, measles.
They are the scourges of the developing world - easily preventable ailments.
Malaria alone kills 1 million people a year. It's estimated half those deaths could be prevented through the simple use of pesticide-treated mosquito nets, according to the Global Health Council.
Djawe understands his people.
He knows, for instance, that a volunteer effort to spread health information takes a certain approach.
"Here, you just put up your poster, and a lot of people are going to come," he says. But in Togo, "if somebody is in his house, thinking about what he's going to eat today, he's not going to care about your poster."
Djawe is certain he can make a difference. The problem is money. He has none, and his ability to work here is limited by the conditions of his student visa.
Michigan costs $31,000 a year and Tulane is $24,000, he says.
Connelly is looking into foundations that might help. And Lucy Hicks, whom Djawe has tutored in algebra, is writing to Oprah Winfrey.
"He's made just a huge difference in my life," says Hicks, a "50-something" student. "Everyone loves him. They respect him. He's always had an open-door policy in helping anyone who needed help with anything."
At Friday's commencement, Djawe flashed his signature smile. He's glad to be one of 1,200 newly minted graduates of Northern Kentucky University. He's grateful for the support and opportunity he has found here.
But he'd be even happier if he knew what was coming next.
E-mail kgutierrez@nky.com
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The Enquirer/meggan Booker |
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Kpandja Djawe hugs a friend while waiting for the graduation ceremony
to begin Friday at U.S. Bank Arena. Djawe, 29, is from Togo. |
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Enquirer Photos By Meggan Booker |
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NKU President James Votruba confers an honorary degree on the Rev. Fred
Shuttlesworth, who has a long history in the nation's civil rights
movement. |
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In a moment of reflection, Danielle Steele (left) of Taylor Mill and
Patty Corbett of Covington watch the river before lining up. |
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