Present Reality—Before the Airport
On the morning of August 23, 2023, a strange alarm song kept resonating in the room. It was weird waking up to an unfamiliar alarm. All of a sudden, I remembered installing a new theme on my phone–the new theme had its own alarm sound. My usual alarm is the classic Samsung “Homecoming” tone, calm but structured like a gentle tap on the shoulder. But this new one was part of the astronomy theme I had downloaded. It sounded like blinking stars and scattered chimes that felt like the universe was waking me up. This was a day filled with mixed emotions because on one hand I was starting on my journey to study abroad in the United States and on the other hand I was leaving my lovely family behind. On top of that feeling was a breeze of hot air, typical of Cameroon, blowing across the room. We were at the coastal end of the country, packing my suitcase for the last time, getting ready for my trip. My hometown doesn’t have an international airport; we had to drive about 8 hours to the coast, and reserve a hotel room for the night before the flight. The time in Douala, where the airport and hotel is, was extraordinary because I got to eat fresh street food commonly called “poisson braisé,” aka roasted fish. Words are too simple to capture the savor of that fish. It tasted differently from the “poisson braisé” that I usually encountered in my hometown because, at the coast, the roasted fish comes directly from the water. It was very fresh, and hence, it preserved all its original flavor. The fish was seasoned with typical Cameroonian spices, piquant and aromatic, sinking deeply into the skin of the fish. I could taste the charcoal it had been grilled on and the depth of the aroma, as if the sea itself had offered it up. But the moments of savor were over. Soon, the scent of roasted fish faded gradually into the background of suitcases zipping shut and final checks. It was time to head to the airport. At the airport, I hugged my mother and siblings tightly, as if I could pack them with me. In a low voice in my ears, my mother said, “Good luck with everything! Go ahead and pursue your dreams.”
Panorama at the Airport
After crossing the police border and waiting at the gate to board the plane, my thoughts began to drift gently, lifting me off before the plane. I imagined what flying in the skies would look like. At that moment, my soul was technically in the skies. In my mind’s eye, I saw the Gulf of Guinea, Cameroon’s coast from above, and eventually the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea. In the middle of my daydream, a lady with a gentle voice says “Dear Passengers, it is time to board.” I felt my soul coming back to my body. I jumped into the window seat that I chose during check-in. It was time to take off from Douala International Airport. As the plane took off from the runway, I had this sensation of weightlessness–I felt like I was floating for a few seconds. Strangely enough, I didn’t feel like vomiting because my sister told me she almost threw up the first time she took the plane. Looking through the window, guess what I saw? The “chariots of the Gods”, aka Mount Cameroon, the tallest mountain in Western Africa. Its massive peak pierced through the cloud and it looked dark and majestic. I ascended this mountain three months before this plane trip.
Flashback—Hike to Mount Cameroon
Due to the unforgettable moments I had during that hike, for a second time, I slipped into a flashback of that trip, which was the last journey I had with my friends. A few months before the hike, there was this athletic competition called the Race to Mount Cameroon. Watching this competition on TV made me learn and interested in the mountain. Hiking has always been a passion of mine–I knew I had to add this mountain to my list of must-visit places before leaving Cameroon. So, when my friends and I planned a trip to explore the “chariots of the Gods,” we were all in. During that trip with my friends, we traveled a total of 8 hours by bus to the east coast of Cameroon to explore the “chariots of the Gods.” After the bus ride, we went straight to bed at the motel my friends and I rented. A few hours later, a group that one of my friends knew joined us. They had hiked Mount Cameroon before, and were happy to guide us up
Hike Continues–Whole experience captured
At 3 am, in the midst of snores, a young man’s voice pierced the darkness. The abrupt sounds he produced to wake us up made me leap out of bed and grab all the things I needed for this exciting hike. The first remarkable area I noticed, despite being in the dark, was the dense equatorial forest. Looking back toward the town we had just left, I could see the soft golden lights dotting the valley below, just like stars observed at night. As I hurried to catch up with my friends ahead, I heard three voices from the group that was willing to guide us up the trail. They were half-laughing when one suddenly called me out, “Eh! Please do not leave us behind!” Their humor and friendliness made me pause. Because I didn’t want to struggle alone while my friends were ahead, I decided to join their team. More than that, I wanted to meet people outside my usual circle. Wow! I had found a new friend group for the journey. As my hometown friends were several miles ahead, I had to continue the journey with this new group of friends. When the sun finally rose, I could finally see the beauty of the surrounding area. The rocky hills and the grey and dried savanna covered the whole place. My favorite part of this journey was climbing the rocky hills. At one point, we came upon a hut where we briefly rested. With my new friends, we laughed at how we were climbing the rocky hills at an angle of ninety degrees. I hoped to find my hometown friends at that hut, but was surprised to learn we were only halfway up the mountain. Determined to reach the summit and catch up with my hometown friends, I left the hut. My new friends, on the other hand, decided to take a longer break. I left my phone with them, hoping they’d bring that to me fully charged as it was dead. Unfortunately, they never caught up to me. I hiked alone for the remainder of the journey, determined to arrive at the summit. I walked through thick clouds that covered the walkways. My hands were stiff from the cold and my feet sore from the stones that filled the trail. The silence up there was echoed with wind and my footsteps
As I was hiking in that weather, I frequently thought I had reached the summit. However, that was not the case. The clouds were just giving me false illusions, wrapping the peaks in mystery. After 3 hours I finally arrived at the last hut before the summit. There, to my surprise, I found my hometown friends. They were about to head down because the conditions were not favorable to continue the hike. We stayed at that hut for about 30 minutes. During this short break, we shared the stories of our different paths and struggles, ranging from blisters to cold air and finally lost trails. Then came the most difficult part–getting down the mountain with sore feet. Walking down steep slopes with sore feet was painful, but eventually, we arrived at the hut where I had left my new friend group and my phone. I was relieved to find them still there waiting. They hadn’t gone any further. Laughing and exhausted, we all regrouped and took a group photo to remember the unexpected bonds we forged along the way.
Back to reality—Plane ‘return’ and Airport Arrival
All of a sudden, a bump in the flight brought me back to reality. Few hours later, I landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where I had about two hours of layover. It was my first time stepping foot in the US. It felt very strange at first because everyone spoke English. I grew up in a town where French was mainly spoken. Hearing everyone around me mainly speaking English made me realize I was no longer at home. Well, what could I do? I had chosen to step out of my comfort zone to pursue my dream. The only option I had was to adapt to the new environment. After two hours elapsed, it was time to take my connection flight to Boston. Taking off from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport didn’t feel entirely new anymore because I was already familiar with it from just hours ago. After two and a half hours, we finally arrived at Boston Logan International Airport. Since my flight was domestic, we landed at Terminal A. Pre-Orientation leaders from Amherst College were waiting for me at terminal E, the international terminal. I had to find my way there. It was a frustrating experience because I didn’t know how to navigate the airport. On top of that were my three heavy suitcases. Moving from escalators to escalators and floor to floor made me sore. At one point, I sat down and questioned myself “is this a sign that I had already failed?” Then I remembered I had a phone with an internet connection. I reached out to my Pre-O leaders via Whatsapp, and they guided me through the airport. Eventually, I made it to terminal E and met my new classmates from around the world. It was very late at night when we took the bus from the airport to Amherst College
Days at Amherst
When I arrived at Amherst, I was very surprised by the warm and welcoming spirit from faculty and staff. Then came the first week of classes. As I sat in my STEM and humanities classes, I was confused. The structure and wording of the classes were very different from the ones back home. One phrase in particular caught my attention during my very first weeks of attending classes at Amherst–office hours. I was surprised that Professors met with students outside of the classroom to help them with the course. Not very familiar with this concept, I didn’t attend any for the first couple weeks of classes. As a result, it impacted my learning, especially in my STEM courses. This was a double burden for me because not only was I trying to adapt culturally and linguistically, but also academically. That struggle mirrored the soreness I felt hiking Mount Cameroon alone during one part of the trip. I was on an unfamiliar terrain, just like Amherst. The way STEM was taught here at Amherst was different. In Cameroon, STEM is mostly factual, with little application. I was used to taking the teacher’s notes given in class without asking why things looked the way they look. However, at Amherst, STEM is both factual and application-based. We are taught why things work and how to turn a concept into a research project. Just like my experience from Mount Cameroon, I had to adapt to the sore. The very first thing I did was seek out help by constantly attending office hours. Doing so helped me quickly understand the American education system. Over time, I built strong relationships with my professors and developed a solid desire to pursue STEM. I owe this desire for pursuing STEM to my Chemistry and Biology professors. Their immense support during office hours, and their effort to know me as a person moved me deeply. Those interactions with my professors sparked my interest in exploring the intersection between chemistry and biology. They even enabled me to secure an immunology summer research position at Dana Farber Cancer Institute thanks to their recommendation letters. Immunology is a field that bridges the disciplines of biology and chemistry. Wow! Who would have imagined that this shy, little guy from a “third world” country would end up doing research at one of the best Cancer institutes, alongside some of the best scientists in their field? This was made possible through my willingness to step out of my comfort zone
Flash Forward— Future MD/PhD Journey
My experiences at Dana Farber coupled with the interactions with PI and scientists helped me gain admission into an MD/PhD program. Breaking news: Divine becomes the first ever person from his home country to have achieved this! Throughout the program he will encounter ups and down. After all, this is a field not historically built for people of color like him. Nevertheless, he refuses to be dissuaded from his goal of making healthcare and medical technology accessible to everyone in his home country. With his Doctor squared degree, Divine gets multiple offers from countries around the world because they seek out bright minds with advanced degrees. Among the many offers, Divine choses two– one from a top US medical school, and another from Cameroon. Every Fall, Divine teaches and conducts research at his institution in the U.S. Then in the Spring, he returns to his home country, Cameroon to teach and give back. In Cameroon, Divine leads multiple organizations and associations that support low income students in achieving their dreams of getting a chance to study abroad for at least a semester before returning home. Divine’s dream of teaching on the Global stage has been fulfilled. Metaphorically, it mirrors his hike to Mount Cameroon that was unfinished before college and now completed. That same passion and determination fuel his next breakthrough– discovering the cure of a rare disease (TBD) found only in his home country. The result? A Nobel Prize. But Divine accepts it only under one condition– that his home country receives full acknowledgement. This is not a different Divine– it is the same, who through his HSTEM course in college, learned how Western institutions often take credit for indigenous knowledge without proper recognition.
And now, a question for you: What disease do you think Divine has cured?
Hmmm…. we’II find out someday.