Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022 Saugus High graduate Crystal Kembo discusses her scholastic success and her parents’ journey from Cameroon to America to obtain her higher education By Tara Vocino E ditor’s Note: For this week’s interview, we interviewed Crystal Fosung Kembo, an Honors Graduate in the Saugus High School Class of 2022. She was born in Cameroon, a country in west-central Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. Her parents — Jean-Martin and Linda Kembo — decided to immigrate Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 We Sell Sell Cigars Cigars & AccessoriesAccessories R.YR.Y.O..O. 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She plans to attend Brown University next fall, where she will study International and Public Aff airs. Her 16-year-old sister, Maeva Kembo, is currently a junior at Saugus High School. Crystal describes her sister as “an amazing student leader” who is also a very good student. At the recent Senior Awards Night, Crystal received five local scholarships: an Essex Agricultural Society Scholarship provided by the Topsfi eld Fair, the Kowloon Restaurant Scholarship, the Saugus Boosters Club Inc. Scholarship, the Saugus High School Alumni Association DeMasi O’Leary Scholarship and the Saugus High School Foundation Award for Outstanding Character. See below for this week’s interview. Q: First of all, feel free to share your educational background. You attended Saugus Public Schools, grades K-12. And please highlight your major accomplishments, especially your senior year. A: As a recent graduate of Saugus High School, I’m a proud fi rst generation college student. I fi nished top 10 in my class and took various advanced placement and honors courses through my high COLLEGE BOUND: Crystal Fosung Kembo is one of 63 Saugus High School graduates from the Class of 2022 to be First Generation College Students. Her parents, Jean-Martin and Linda Kembo, immigrated to America from Cameroon when she was 10 months old to provide her the best opportunity for higher education. She will be headed to Brown University in the fall to study International and Public Aff airs. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) FATHER’STHER’S DA DAY IS COMING! IS COMING! Check ourCheck our in-house in-house SPECIALS! SPECIALS! BuyBuy Cigars by theCigars by the Box & SA Box & SAVE!VE! CompetitiveCompetitive prices on all prices on all Brands, Great Brands, Great Selection Selection school’s Advanced Academy. I’ve played fi eld hockey for six years and have been an avid member of my school’s drama community for seven years. Some of my most prized extracurriculars include captaining the SHS improv troupe and acting as a leader within my school’s Young Feminist Alliance. Upon working with the Saugus School Committee, we recently succeeded in reforming the Saugus Middle High School’s dress code. I especially value community service as a National Honor Society member and have been a peer mentor at various points throughout high school. I’ve received recognition through book awards provided during my junior year by the University of Rochester and Brandeis University, for my social justice work and volunteerism. As a senior I received an award for my excellence in English, was named a North Shore Chamber of Commerce Honors Scholar and have been competitively selected into the Ron Brown Leaders Network. Finally, I’m proud to say that I’ve been accepted into Brown University’s class of 2026 where I’ll be studying international and public aff airs this fall. Q: You said you were born in Cameroon. At what age did you and your family immigrate to the U.S.? And please tell me a little bit about your mom and dad. The town street list notes they are both nurses, and the town records show they bought a 1904-vintage home on Newhall Street in Saugus, so your parents and their daughters are defi nitely living the American Dream. A: My parents and I immigrated to the U.S. in the year 2004, when I was 10 months old. When we got here, my parents took up jobs as direct support staff at group homes and eventually worked their way up to becoming nurses. In 2007, they bought a home in Saugus where we currently live. My parents are extremely hardworking and greatly value their job as caregivers. Especially in the peak of the pandemic, they remained diligent and compassionate as essential care workers. I greatly admire them and the love they hold towards myself and my sister. Q: You mentioned in your first email “My parents emigrated to the United States to provide me with the best chance of obtaining higher education.” What city did they fi rst enter, and then how and why did their journey take them to Saugus? Did they have relatives or friends who were familiar with the town? How old were you when you arrived in Saugus? A: I was about four years old when my family moved to Saugus. Upon entering the
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