| Nhuchche |
Posted
on 19-May-02 10:36 AM
From Houston Chronicle
Foreign students forced to leave just weeks prior to ceremony
By GINA V. LIVELY
Chronicle correspondent
Graduation usually is one of the most exciting events in the life of a teen. For foreign exchange students Prabin Joshi and Tahiry Merida, it was bittersweet.
Joshi, 18, of Nepal and Merida, 18, of Venezuela became the first members of Texas City High School's class of 2002 to graduate after the Immigration and Naturalization Service canceled their visas and notified them that they had to leave the country by May 15, 16 days before graduation.
Both were in the United States on tourist visas, which were valid for six months and had been extended once before. Both were unsuccessful in getting extensions to allow them to participate in Texas City High School's graduation.
So instead, the school set up small, special ceremonies for them.
Joshi became the first of Texas City High School's Class of 2002 to graduate on May 6. While the ceremony was small by most graduation standards, it was filled with emotion.
Prabin Joshi wore a cap and gown and walked across the principal's office to receive his diploma from Principal Bill Doughty. Neither Joshi nor his brother Binod Joshi could hold back tears.
"This is very overwhelming for me," Prabin Joshi said after moving the tassel on his graduation cap from the right to the left. "I'm very proud of my school. Everyone has been so supportive."
Doughty praised Joshi's determination.
"In the year that he's been here, he's done such a good job," Doughty said. "He's worked long and hard for this."
Merida graduated on May 9. In front of a crowd of about 50 staff members, students, family members and friends, Merida walked across a classroom to receive her diploma.
Joshi first came to the United States for treatments of wounds he received in a fire when he was about 18 months old.
While in treatment and while going to school, he lived with his 29-year-old brother, who lives in Texas City.
Joshi enrolled in high school on the advice of doctors at Shriners Burn Hospital who thought it would do him good to get out and become involved with others.
When the school year began, he could not attend classes because of a skin grafting procedure. His first contact with his new classmates was through the Internet, he said.
"We would talk about the assignments and classes," he said.
By January, he was able to start attending classes on campus. Other students, he said, were friendly.
Merida decided to come to the United States to study in an effort to learn English. She felt the best way to learn was to immerse herself in the language.
When she arrived, she had great difficulty communicating and reading English. Taking tests was a problem, she said.
That did not last long. Merida graduated in the top quarter of her class and was named to Who's Who Among American High School Students.
When school officials learned that the two were being told they had to leave the country before graduation, staff members were moved to action.
One registered letter was sent and more than 105 telephone calls were made to the INS on behalf of the two.
"Every chance I got I would pick up the phone and call," said Vice Principal Marian Skinner. "I lost count at 105."
She was notified that the letter was received, but never received a response to either the calls or the letter, Skinner said.
"I'm really mad at them," she said.
Joshi and Merida hope to return to the United States in two to three months to continue their education at College of the Mainland. Both intend to study computer science.
"I really want to come back because the standard of education is very good here," Joshi said.
"You are very privileged here," Merida said. "When you graduate (with a college degree) from here, you can get a job anywhere."
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