Ibse moved to the U.S. when she was 14 years old, from Somalia.  Her family settled in Minnesota. She had never been to school before moving to the U.S. and did not speak the language. She was enrolled in school by her age and not her grade level.  She remembers she did not understand what the teacher or other students were saying in class. She didn’t know when lunch time was or where it was at in the school, so she didn’t eat all day. She tried three different schools, but it was the same experience for her. She dropped out of school to help her mom raise her siblings. Later, she moved to Nebraska with her younger sister. She said the school system in Nebraska is so much better, but it is more expensive to live here. She has no plans to leave Nebraska due to the educational opportunities for herself and her children. She attends the Hastings Literacy Program Monday through Thursday for both reading and math classes and is very dedicated in obtaining her GED. She plans on continuing her education and becoming a doctor. When asked about how the program has helped her, she stated this program is opening her eyes to more opportunities and things that would have only been a dream and is now becoming a reality for her.

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