Umbalisi webali: UAlexis (yena/bakhe), oneminyaka engama-25, eNew York

Umbhalo webali: 

"Molo, igama lam ndingu-Alexis Williams, ndingumfundisi wemfundo yetekhnoloji yebanga lesixhenxe. Kwaye ndilapha ukukunika ibali lendlela endiye ngayo apho ndikhoyo namhlanje kwintsimi ye-STEM. Ke ndicinga ukuba ibali lam liyaqala, njengokuba babenjalo abantu abaninzi, bendingengomntu onomdla kakhulu kwisayensi, itekhnoloji, ubunjineli kunye nezibalo. Xa ndandisesikolweni, eneneni ndabuzwa ngomnye wootitshala bam besikolo samabanga aphakamileyo owayefundisa umsebenzi weplanga ngelo xesha, enoba ndandiza kujoyina iklasi yakhe ukuze ndifumane isincamathelisi. Ndandingumntwana oselula, ndavuya kakhulu, “Ewe, ndifumene isincamathelisi, ndiza kujoyina iklasi!” Ndiye ndangena eklasini yakhe, kwaye ndaphela ndiwuthanda ngokupheleleyo umxholo. Ngoko xa sasiseklasini, sakwazi ukusebenzisa izibalo kwimeko yobomi bokwenyani, sakwazi ukusebenzisa inzululwazi kwimeko yobomi bokwenyani. Kwaye ke sakwazi ukubandakanya ubugcisa kunye nezinye izinto ezahlukeneyo, uyazi, izinto ezihamba kunye naloo nto, ukuyidibanisa kunye nokwenza into ephathekayo. Yayilixesha lokuqala ebomini bam, ukuba ngenene ndibone umboniso obonakalayo womsebenzi wam udibana. Kwaye loo nto yabutshintsha ngokupheleleyo ubomi bam kunye nembono yam ngemfundo kunye. 

Kususela ngelo xesha ukuya phambili, apho ndagqiba ekubeni ndifune ukuya esikolweni ndibe ngutitshala wemfundo yeteknoloji. Kwaye loo nto yayinkulu kum, ngakumbi isuka kumntu ongenalo kwaphela icebo lokuba ngumfundisi-ntsapho, ndisayeke ukuya ekholejini, ndandingazukuyenza loo nto konke konke. Ke emva kokuba ndithathe isigqibo sokuba ndiza kuya ngenene ukuya kwisikolo setekhnoloji kunye nemfundo yobunjineli. Ndafaka isicelo kwisikolo esikumntla weNew York. Kwaye kwafumaniseka ukuba sesinye sezikolo ekukuphela kwazo kwiLizwe laseNew York eziqinisekisa iteknoloji kunye nemfundo yobunjineli. Ndandingazi ngokupheleleyo kwaye ndingazi ngokupheleleyo xa ndifika kule nkqubo ukuba ndiza kuba kuphela komntu webala, kwaye enye yabasetyhini abathathu baye babhalisa kule nkqubo, nto leyo yi-statistic yasendle, ndibona ukuba esi kuphela kwesikolo esikolweni. Ilizwe laseNew York eliqinisekisa aba titshala, mnye kuphela umntu webala kunye nabasetyhini abathathu abaya kufundisa ulutsha lwaseMelika itekhnoloji kunye nemfundo yobunjineli ngexesha endithweswe ngalo isidanga. 

Ke into endiye ndagqiba ukuyenza kukuba, ndaqhubeka nezifundo zam, kwaye bendiyibonile indlela izinto ebezihamba ngayo kwiveki yam yokuqala esikolweni, kwaye ngenene ndaphela ndilixhoba lolwaphulo-mthetho lwentiyo, olutshintshe ubomi bam ngokupheleleyo. ubomi bam bonke. Bendigqibile. Bendingafuni ukuqhubeka nalento. Ndathi ndiyayazi ikholeji ayindifanelanga, ndandisazi ukuba ukungena kwi-STEM yayingeyoyam. Andiboni mntu onjengam, kukho isizathu sokuba kungabikho mntu unjengam apha. Kwabakho into eyandivumela ukuba ndibuye. Kwakungenxa yezilingo kunye neembandezelo endajongana nazo emva kokuba ulwaphulo-mthetho lwentiyo lwenzekile apho umntu babhala ubuhlanga kwenye yezinto zam zobuqu kwikhompyuter yam. Mna ngelo xesha ndandifana nje, uyazi, ndifuna ukudlula kule nto, ndifuna ukuqhubela phambili, ndifuna ukuba ngumntu ongcono. Andifuni kuxakwa zezo zinto. Kodwa ndandinabantu ekwakufanele ukuba bayandixhasa, ngelo xesha lalinzima kakhulu, ababengaboni uhlanga okanye isini njengezinto ezazinokuthi ngokwenene zithintele abantu ekufuneni ukuba kweli candelo. Ingakumbi njengomntu owayeza kuba semfundweni ngelo xesha, okanye abantu ababengabahlohli ngelo xesha, yayingathi ibuhlungu into yokubona ndingenamntu ekoneni yam. 

Kungekudala emva koko, ndagqiba ekubeni ndifundele ukufundisa kwam. Kulapho ndaye ndafumanisa ukuba kubaluleke kakhulu ukuba ndingahambi, hayi kuba kwakulula ngayo nayiphi na ingcamango, hayi kuba bekulula. Kodwa ngenxa yokuba ndajonga emva ebomini bam ngelo xesha. Ndaye ndaqonda ukuba ndifuna ukuhamba kabuhlungu kuba andiboni mntu wumbi onjengam. Ukuba ndim kuphela umntu webala, kwaye omnye kwabathathu ababhinqileyo kuphela baye ngokwenene kwinkqubo ukuqalisa. Xa ndithweswe isidanga ndaza ndaba ngumfundisi-ntsapho, mhlawumbi ndiba lelona thuba nethuba laba bantwana lokuba nomntu ofana nabo, nto leyo endandiyinqwenela nendiyifuna kakhulu ngexesha lomsebenzi wam wokukhula kwam. Ndiye ndagqiba kwelokuba ndihlale ngenxa yeso sizathu, nto leyo enzima kungekho mntu ufuna ukomelela. 

Ukuqina luphawu olukhulu. Luphawu olukhulu. Kodwa kwinqanaba elithile, andifuni kuphinda ndinyamezele. Ndifuna nje ukubakho, ndifuna ukungena, ndifuna ukubona abantu abafana nam, andifuni ukuqhubeka ndilwela ukuba nesihlalo etafileni, indawo yokuhlala etafileni kufuneka ibe khona. Kodwa kwelinye icala, ndaqonda ukuba leyo inokuba yindima yam yokuhambela phambili nokuba ngumfundisi-ntsapho ngokungathi akukho zihlalo kum etafileni. Ndiza kuqinisekisa ukuba ndidala izitulo zabantwana bam ukuya phambili. Ndiye ndagqiba ndahlala. Ndiyibeke ngaphandle. Ndigqibele ndithweswa isidanga kwaye ndiye ndaba ngutitshala endicinga ukuba ndihlawule ngokuphindwe kalishumi ukuba ngutitshala wetekhnoloji kunye nemfundo yombala kuba Ngamaxesha anyibilikisa intliziyo yam apho ndiba nabafundi bam bandixelele, 'Owu nkosi yam, Miss Williams, Ndivuya kakhulu ukuba ulapha. Uyazi, iinwele zakho zikhangeleka njengezam okanye, uyazi, Nkosazana Williams, ucinga ukuba ndingayenza njani le nto ngeenwele zam? Ucinga ukuba ndingakwenza njani oku ngokwahlukileyo, okanye, uyazi, andizange ndimbone umfundisi-ntsapho onjengawe, eneneni uyasifumana, uyasiqonda.'

 Ke ukubuya yonke indlela egcwele isangqa ngotshintsho kumathuba endiye ndanawo ebomini bam, ndiye ndafumanisa ukuba oku ayisiyondlela umlo olula. Akuyonto ilula ukuba nayo. Kodwa lidabi elibalulekileyo ekufuneka sidlule kulo. Nasi ke isizathu. Ukumelwa kunokuba yinxalenye elula. Singakwazi ukufumana abantu emnyango, sinokufumana abantu ukuba beze, sinokufumana abantu ukuba beve amabali ethu, sinokufumana abantu kwi-STEM, sinokufumana abantu kwisayensi, iteknoloji, ubunjineli kunye nezibalo, kodwa ngaba sinokubafumana hlala? Ezo zizinto ezimbini ezahlukeneyo kakhulu. Ukumelwa kunye nokugcinwa zizihloko ezibini ezahlukeneyo kakhulu. Kwaye ukugcinwa kulapho iinzame zethu kufuneka zigxile khona. Ukuba sakha ingomso elingcono, kufuneka siqinisekise ukuba bambalwa abantu esinokungena nabo emnyango. Musa ukuhamba. Kwaye indlela esenza ngayo oko kungokusebenzisa inqanawa edibeneyo. Indlela esenza ngayo oko kukuqinisekisa ukuba wonke umntu uziva ekhuselekile kwaye baziva bekhululekile kwaye bazive bexhasiwe, kuba uza kuyidinga loo nto. Yimvakalelo enesithukuthezi ukwazi ukuba nguwe wedwa okhoyo kodwa indenza ndiqhubeke ndisazi ukuba kufuneka ndibe nguvulindlela ukuze ndiqalise ingomso elingcono. Kwaye ndinqwenela kwaye ndiyathemba ukuba bonke abafundi bam abahambi ngentlungu endiye ndahamba kuyo kodwa ukuba kuyenzeka ukuba benze oko, kwenza ubomi bube lula ukwazi ukuba ndiya kuba khona ukubaxhasa kuhambo lwabo."