Nyith Lul Bukjiok, he was graduated with his BA in Political Studies an emphasis in Pre- Law and Public Administration at Grand View Iowa. This is the piece of information I want you to attach to my graduation message. If any question or concern, please reach me on my cell or by email. Thanks you, Nyith

Topic:   My Academic Journey

Author: Nyith Lul Bukjiok

Date:    July 30, 2008

I welcome you to LCA News 2008 to read my Academic Journey!

My Name is Nyith Lul Bukjiok born 1972 in a village called Makuey located on the Ethiopian side facing Malual Ghahoth on the Sudanese side now become Longechuk County. Fortunately, I consider myself citizens of both towns. In my life times, I resided from both towns. Both sides are divided by Baro River or the Sovate River. In 1977 I was taken to Malual Ghahoth to visit with my uncle, which led me to attend Mual Primary School. While I was visiting, my uncle who was in his secondary school in Nasir introduced me to first grade section Arabic while he was on his spring break in Malual Ghahoth. Therefore, education becomes part of my life. Unfortunately, I dropped out from the first grade section Arabic and want back to Makuey with my family. I rejoined Malual Primary School in 19982 but dropped out once again due to shipping shortage of school supplies to eastern Jikany with the fear of Any-Any II attacking ships along the Sovate River.

Nyith Lul Bukjiok: Bachelor degree of Political Studies, Pre-law, and Public Administration

Graduate of 2008

While I was hoping to be fully attending next year’s school open, the civil war broke out early in the fall of 1983 where SPLA attacked Malual Ghahoth town. The civil war derived people away, however, the school was destroyed by war. In 1987, four year out of school, I decided to leave my family behind to attend thatch houses school in Itang refugee camp. I begun by study Nuer Language up to fourth grade before I begun my English lesson. Sooner than latter, I had begun my English lesson in the summer of 1989. In the late winter of 1992, I seated the Ethiopian National Exam and passed the national exam but due to my name pronunciation in Amahric, I was denied my seat in the class.   However, the insecurity in Itang in early spring of 1992 went from bad to worse, the refugee were relocated to Dimma refugee camp, therefore, I had begun to continue my school there. In the summer of 1993, I seated Ethiopian National Exam in the eight-grade exam in Dimma Refugee Camp, and passed with an average of 91.41%. With high hope to go to a better school, unfortunately, the United Nations for refugee education enacted new policies. They decided to allow ages 15 bellow. As a result, I was turned down because I turn 16 that year. In the mean time, I failed to meet that test. With this policy, I felt discriminated against because of my age not because I failed the exam. Because it was a policy slightly taken against public, not against individual, I didn’t take that hard on myself. I took it as everyone else. There were more than 200 students expelled from going to Mizan High School due to the fact that they turned ages 16 and above. Because the chances are not limited to one day, each day has its’ own feature. In the spring of 1995, my chances to find the quest of my education came along. My community planed to host a fundraising party in which the community raised about 7,000 Ethiopian Birr. The community decided to send six of us to Kenya so we could find our ways to go to United States. With the community spirit, in the afternoon we arrived in the IFO Refugee Camp in Kenya, the JVA decided to close the resettlement that month, and requires anyone to turn in his or her Affidavits to JVA. With this community spirit, we had managed to make it to the United States. With high interest to rejoin high school, I managed to attend Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, IA. With uncertainty to graduate due to age limits in High school, I dropped out in the middle of 10th grade and I decided to attend Des Moines Area Community college, work my way up and had managed to reach the college credits level. I earned my associate degree in Liberal Arts in the early summer of 2003. In 2004, I attended Grand View College studying Political Studies with an emphasis in Pre-law and Public Administration. On April 26, 2008, I graduate with a BA in Political Studies from the Grand View College Des Moines, IA. To write about this long list of my academic events, I write this to encourage those who might think of giving up pursuing their education. Continuing learning never end. Even when people graduated with academic degrees, they should still have more to learn during the lifetime of their careers. This is my academic story, and I’m still continuing learning. Keep the dream a life.

God bless you all,

Nyith Lul Bukjiok