Nelo Nducuia is approximately 9,400 miles from home.
The distance is something the international student from Maputo, Mozambique, has been dreaming about since he was 13. That鈥檚 the age he first encountered the English language. He was intrigued by the phonetics but perhaps more intrigued by its opportunity.
鈥淚t's a global language,鈥 said Nducuia, a junior business administration major. 鈥淚f you know English, you can communicate in most countries.鈥
English wasn鈥檛 part of his curriculum in Mozambique, located on the southeast coast of Africa. At 16, he convinced his parents to let him attend school in Tanzania, located 850 miles north of Mozambique, as he continued his dream for opportunity that the English language would provide.
鈥淲hen I went to Tanzania, they only gave us about seven weeks to learn English,鈥 he recalled. 鈥淲e had a course that was half of a semester because we didn鈥檛 have enough time in school.鈥
That鈥檚 when he took it into his own hands.
鈥淚 had a grammar book, and I would watch TV shows. I remember listening to the same songs with lyrics over 20 times a day,鈥 said Nducuia. 鈥淚 wanted a challenge to get my ears used to it listening while someone was speaking fast.鈥
Reading English was more cumbersome, he admitted. A mere 10 pages of a book would take him days to read. He would make a list of the new words found within the pages and look them up in a dictionary to ensure he comprehended the content of each page.
Throughout his journey of learning English, Nducuia felt the push and pull of mixed support from his family. He received substantial encouragement from his mother but also felt the uncertainty and fear of his father.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 want me to leave the country; he just didn鈥檛 think it was a good idea,鈥 Nducuia said.
He pushed on, eventually utilizing his basketball skills to find opportunities in the United States. That eventually led him to a full scholarship to play basketball at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte, Neb.
鈥淚 also had dreams of being able to impact the community,鈥 said Nducuia. 鈥淭here are so many places where you don鈥檛 have the opportunity to do both at the same time, and I thought that if I went to the U.S., it would be a better place.鈥
As Nducuia鈥檚 community college career neared its end, he explored four-year colleges where he could complete his bachelor鈥檚 degree.
Enter Nebraska Wesleyan University.
In 2017, SM论坛 and Mid-Plains Community College agreed to a new partnership that would provide more pathways for degree completion. That partnership includes additional financial assistance to members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, an academic honorary for community college students.
鈥淧TK students fit in well here,鈥 said Bill Motzer, vice president for enrollment management. 鈥淭hey are motivated, accomplished scholars, so they assimilate quickly into the academic culture of Nebraska Wesleyan.鈥
Nducuia was initially intrigued by the PTK Scholarship.
鈥淲ithout it, I would never be able to be part of Nebraska Wesleyan,鈥 he said.鈥淚 feel like SM论坛 is the best fit for me.鈥
He learned quickly that he appreciates his professors鈥 personal attention.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always better to have that face-to-face conversation,鈥 said Nducuia. 鈥淵ou can talk to the professor without having to make appointments. The professors know their students, the unique challenges they face, and often show empathy toward students under tough circumstances.鈥
Nducuia also considered playing for the men鈥檚 basketball team, but ultimately decided to focus on his academics.
鈥淚 have a young brother, and he鈥檚 10,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 always scared that something can happen [back at home]. I just want to be ready to take care of him if I have to, so for now, I want to get more skills to help me grow as a professional rather than sports.鈥
Now he dreams of becoming an investor in the stock market, starting a business and teaching business basics to low-income families.
鈥淧eople make tragic decisions with the money they make just because they don鈥檛 have access to the education they need to make those better decisions,鈥 said Nducuia. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better to teach someone how to do it themselves than to just do it for them.鈥
His grit is admirable, said Motzer.
鈥淗e is courageous and passionate,鈥 said Motzer. 鈥淗e demonstrates resilience to hardships and perseveres through each challenge confronted in his life. The strength of his character is immense.
鈥淲e are fortunate to have Nelo as a member of our community,鈥 Motzer continued. 鈥淲e have much to learn from him, while humbly hoping we can provide him with a degree that serves him well.鈥
And one day, Nducuia plans to share the outcome of that degree with others back home.
鈥淭hrough all the hardships, they could have decided to abandon me,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut they did not.鈥
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鈥擲tory by Danielle Anderson, public relations intern
Learn more about the PTK Scholarship.