Imagine this series of firsts: traveling alone to a far away country, arriving in a country where your native language is not spoken and experiencing western culture shock. The messages in English blare overhead so loudly you can hardly hear yourself think and electric signs flash directions so quickly you can’t read them. You wonder which one of the twelve lines ahead is the one you should be in to go through customs. Your senses are bombarded, nearly overloaded with your knees trembling and hands shaking. You move one foot in front of the other toward the closest line, all the while knowing if you want to make your dreams a reality, you must keep taking the next step.
This describes Cecil Gassis’s first few moments in Chicago O’Hare International Airport five years ago. Life has continued to be a series of firsts that Cecil has been taking on with a positive attitude and a contagious smile ever since.
Cecil was born in Khartoum, Sudan. She has two sisters and one brother. Her parents still live in Sudan, as do many other family members. Her mother worked all her life in a bank and retired a few years ago. Her father worked for an Italian oil company for more than 30 years. After retiring, he found he preferred to be busy and started a second career as an accountant. Cecil was only thirteen years old when her older brother left home to attend Marquette University on a full scholarship.
When they met 10 years later, at O’Hare Airport they were nearly complete strangers. Cecil has one sister and her family living in California and another sister living in Sudan. Cecil has a friend from Sudan in Minnesota named Auntie Eugennia, not a biological aunt but a friend of the family who moved to the United States in 1973. She’s a role model to Cecil because of her youthful spirit and open-mindedness.
Sipping on a cup of tea, Cecil recalls her first two years in the United States, living at her older brother’s apartment. While he worked during the day, Cecil sat and watched out the window as her new neighborhood went by. The world around her was strange, nothing like home. She tells about all she needed to learn those first days and months.
First on her list was to navigate outside, next, to learn conversational English. Cecil studied English in school in Sudan, but the day-to-day, conversational aspect proved to be more difficult. Cecil giggles as she recalls how she worried about traveling outside. She watched people go by and wondered if she should walk in the street or on the sidewalk. People who used the sidewalk all seemed to be on wheels of some kind, skateboards, in-line-skates or bikes, none of which she had.
One day, Cecil mustered all her courage and ventured out to walk down the sidewalk to the corner drugstore. Walking through the front doors of that drugstore was like walking onto another planet. Amazed at so many different choices for the same type of product she walked up and down the aisles for hours.
Every day for the next several weeks, the drugstore became Cecil’s classroom. She studied, memorized and marveled at all the choices, items and people around her. After several weeks of seeing her, the manager offered her a job, saying Cecil knew more about where products were in the store than most of his employees did. Since that first job Cecil has never looked back and has been working several jobs at the same time ever since.
Growing up, Cecil thought America was where celebrities hung out and everyone was white, rich with big houses with swimming pools and big cars. Coming to the United States Cecil quickly learned those beliefs weren’t true.
Schooled in Sudan, Cecil graduated from Ahfad University for Women with a bachelor of science with honors degree. Her course work included five years of women’s studies, diet therapy, home gardening, study skills, nutrition, statistics, food testing and community health. While living in Chicago, Cecil learned of a pilot program for community health workers offered at Minnesota State University, Mankato. One key issue holding her back from moving to Mankato was housing. That’s when two ladies entered Cecil’s life who now, three years later, she affectionately calls, “Mama” and “Grandma.” Hesitant at first of having a foreign student live in their home, Susan Frost and Annette McBeth quickly learned Cecil is someone who brings joy and laughter into their lives. Cecil does chores around the house and dog sits in exchange for room and board.
Cecil’s mother, while visiting from Sudan, met Susan and Annette. After the meeting she said, “Now my heart is at rest. I know now my child is not alone here by herself. Instead of one mother now she has two American mothers as well.” Cecil’s mother often refers to Susan and Annette as angels watching out for Cecil.
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One thing Cecil noticed is the difference between students in Sudan and the students of the United States. In Sudan, the culture is all about respect. From a young age, children are taught respect of parents, elders, teachers, anyone in authority. Cecil doesn’t believe respect can be taught only after children start school, but it’s something that must begin in the home.
Students in Sudan are expected to come ready to give 110 percent of their attention in class, she says. Education is the only way for advancement and it’s a privilege to be able to attend school in Sudan. Sometimes she finds American students not appreciative of the opportunities before them.
At Ahfad University for Women, one of Cecil’s physiology professors said, “I’ll teach all I know about this course every time I come to class, that’s my part; the rest is your responsibility.” Cecil has taken that advice to heart even now while taking classes at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Cecil is quite serious about her responsibility of learning everything she can from her professors.
Cecil spoke about the violence her home country has seen over the last few years. She believes education is the ticket to bettering one’s life. “Students often blame teachers for their not learning, but the teacher comes with a message. It’s the responsibility of the student to take that message or knowledge and use it. Your mind is really the only weapon you need in this world.”
For the last three years, Cecil has been the Walking In Two Worlds program coordinator at the Mankato YWCA. Cecil acknowledges she owes much to her coworkers for teaching and explaining many things about United States culture. They take time to explain a slang word or a certain situation that Cecil didn’t understand.
Anne Ganey, executive director at the YWCA of Mankato and Cecil’s boss, said, “If we could, we would have Cecil working 80 hours a week.” Cecil’s salary in part is funded by a grant from the United Way and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. Anne shared that Cecil’s salary is always in jeopardy but comes through every week with a lot of prayers. Cecil may feel her co-workers teach her but Anne says, “I can honestly say everyone’s learning in all directions when Cecil is around.”
Cecil plays many roles in the community, one being a “cultural interpreter.” She sees and understands what is frightening or misunderstood by immigrants and refugees and then acts to create bridges of understanding. She offers a hand with daily tasks such as translating bills, scheduling medical visits and advises where to get haircuts, activities that can be overwhelming for newcomers. Cecil also shares her knowledge about where to shop for reasonably priced clothes, assists with language classes and helps people with the citizenship process.
Cecil believes community involvement is important and encourages others to become involved. She gently encourages immigrant women to get out and experience local events such as Mankato’s summer event, Songs on the Lawn. This is one way she tries to help eliminate their isolation, helping them meet others in their new community. Cecil is there to offer help and advice along the way, easing the transition for many. Cecil’s coworkers feel Cecil is a cross-cultural community builder and educator. Even as difficult and lonely as her work can be at times, Cecil does her labor gracefully and graciously.
One person Cecil helped in a time of need is Ivonne Weisel. Ivonne arrived from Mexico in the spring of 2005. She met Cecil while in school improving her English. She says Cecil offers helpful advice with patience and kindness. Ivonne said, “She’s like no other person I have met since I moved here, she has a big heart. There’s only one thing about Cecil; she can’t cook but she makes a good salad.”
Cecil enjoys spending free time with family and friends, especially in Minnesota’s summertime weather. When Cecil has an evening to call her own, she puts on one of her prettiest dresses and a little make-up, meets friends, listens to good music, drinks some wine and dances the night away.
Cecil possesses an old soul full of love, wisdom and kindness. Whether it’s because of her life experiences, the life lessons taught to her by her parents or her deep faith, she’s learned to live every day to the fullest, treat others with compassion and take nothing for granted. Cecil simply brings joy to others around her. |
