“It’s wonderful to be part of this program,” said Victoria Bravo, a sophomore international studies major from Lexington. “It’s so rare to find something like this where you can see the impact each and every day.”
Bravo, who was an ESL student in Fayette County Public Schools herself when she was in elementary school, initially jumped at the opportunity to give back to the community in a way she connected with. Her background, as well as her education at the University of Kentucky, provided the perfect skillset for working with these students and helping them reach their dreams.
“Having such a good grasp on both English and Spanish has allowed me to help Spanish-speaking students navigate the language and their assignments,” said Bravo. “I also can see the impact of my time in student government. It’s helped me learn how to personalize activities and work with people from various backgrounds.”
As of July 2023, Kentucky ranked 4th in the nation in the number of refugee arrivals compared to other states. Many of these refugees settle in Lexington and have incredibly specific needs.
“It all started with an email I got from a local middle school in Lexington,” said Musoni. “They had a student who had recently immigrated to the United States who was struggling and asked if I could meet with him. I did, but I began to realize that there were many students like him, who needed help. I also felt that this could be a good opportunity for UK students to help pre-college students from the local communities. When families immigrate to the U.S., they often have so many needs that the schooling and futures of the young people get forgotten. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to help and cheer on young people graduating from high school.”
Musoni, who immigrated to the United States from Zimbabwe for his doctoral work, recognized the need for this type of program and felt the connection between UK students and local refugee populations could impact the educational aspirations of young refugees in the area.
“Obviously, new immigrants to the area need help navigating many aspects of daily life,” said Musoni. “Students need help with their coursework, with the language, but what we tend to forget is how these families navigate things like applying for college. There are educational opportunities available to these students. Connecting them with students from UK helps them see the benefits of furthering their education and makes it feel more real and achievable.”
Thelma Owiredu, a junior at UK double-majoring in public health and business management originally from Ghana, saw Step-Up as a chance to help those not originally from the U.S., just like her.
“It’s definitely been an incredible learning experience,” said Owiredu. “Each student has different needs, and so I’ve learned to tailor what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, to serve that individual student.”
Owiredu hopes UK students will give the program a try and be willing to step outside their comfort zones.
“I had to stretch myself a bit, but the rewards for doing that have been unbelievable. I would encourage other students to consider this program. You’ll learn so much about yourself and make an incredible impact on the local community.”
Learn more about Step-Up at https://is.as.uky.edu/is-careers.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.