Hassan Dayo immigrated as a refugee to Burlington, Vermont, from Kenya when he was eight years old—a physical journey of 7,200 miles. Hassan said that the transition from Africa to America wasn’t nearly the biggest struggle when he was younger.
“My family and I were very fortunate to live with a host family, and we’re still in contact with them today. We lived with them for six months before we moved to Burlington, and they made the transition smoother for us,” he said. “But I had a hard time in middle school, and I needed more support,” he said.
Hassan decided that he would do his best to use his experiences to positively affect others in difficult situations. In order to prepare himself to serve others, Hassan is studying psychology at Keene State. He said he hopes that his education will be useful as a tool to help others he hasn’t met yet, as well as his own family members.
“I want to be able to help kids any way that I can, and I feel like counseling them and sharing my life experience with them is a good way to do that,” Hassan said. “I enjoy helping people. It will be rewarding to make positive impacts on the lives of people who really need help.”
Hassan is dedicated to his studies. With help from student group Common Ground, Aspire, and the Counseling Center, Hassan is working toward graduation and then on to serving in the Peace Corps.
“Sometimes it’s hard to keep doing the work, but then I remember that I’m the first person in my family to go to college. I’m one of seven kids and there are a few younger than me. I need to set an example for them, as well as people who are in the same situation as I am,” said Hassan.
“Keene State has supportive services in place that are really helping me. I work with ASPIRE on my academics and to get more comfortable with the class setting,” said Hassan. “Sometimes it’s hard to voice my opinions when I have had a different experience than other students, and I am working on it. I know that if I say what I’m thinking, it would open the minds of the people around me.”
