Sidikie was born into the brutal world of Liberia. His parents were murdered when he was a baby and he was carried by a relative into neighboring Sierre Leone. He grew up during the nine-year civil war where tens of thousands were killed and 2 million people were displaced. Constantly in danger, living with different people, always on the move, Sidikie finally started school when he was 10 years old. School was often disrupted by rebel fighting and when the fighting became fierce, Sidikie and his two siblings moved to the UN refugee camp. During this time, Sidikie’s “second mother” died but she instilled in Sidikie the dream of getting an education. Through a UN refugee program, Sidikie came to the US as a teenager with a 5th grade education. Over the last two years he learned a new language, a new culture, and is now a high school senior with a 3.5 GPA. He is looking forward to attending either Santa Clara University or San Jose State in the fall.

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