Somalian youth's journey leads to success at Erie Catholic school

Published: 2006-06-12

ERIE, Pa. (CNS) -- Kamal Sharif is one of the most enthusiastic ambassadors of Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie. He talks easily about his passion for education and soccer. A soon-to-be senior with a firm handshake and friendly, direct look, he is quick to point out the pluses of being educated at the Erie school of 640 students sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. And he is so grateful, especially since it is a bit of a miracle he is there at all. In 1993, Sharif had seen and heard more than any 5-year-old should see. Armed gangs roamed through his neighborhood. Gunfire rang out every two minutes. And there were the painful memories of the bodies of people killed in front of his home. That was life growing up near Mogadishu, the capital of the East African nation of Somalia. Sharif and his family were caught in the middle of a civil war ripping apart the African nation since 1991.

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