Didi Gattey

 

Didi’s family had no choice but to leave the Ivory Coast—after all, the country had experienced six attempted coup d’états in the past three years. Unsure of what lay ahead, they gathered their belongings and immigrated to the United States.

He and his family had a difficult time acclimating to their new environment. His dad took a job as a cab driver—an occupation that would allow him to earn a decent living and not highlight his limited English speaking skills. His mother stayed at home to take care of his two younger siblings. Didi enrolled in an ESL program, recognizing that even though he possessed the skills to become a pharmacist, he would not be able to accomplish his dream if he did not know how to communicate with his customers and colleagues.

Didi excels in his classes, earning a GPA of 3.8 at Harold Washington College, and in was  recently admitted to the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Bio-Chemistry.