Born in Yiwu, China, fluent in four languages, and having lived in four different countries throughout his life, Athens Drive student Abdoulie Salla is adjusting to life in America, or more specifically, the classic life of an American teenager.
Due to his father’s job that required his family to move around often, Salla attended an international school in China for the first few years of his education. There, he learned three of the four languages he is now fluent in: Chinese, French and English. He was also introduced to Computer Science, a discipline he found a love for as a kid.
It wasn’t long before his family had to move again. They eventually settled down in their mother countries– Senegal and Gambia, where they were surrounded by friends, family, and familiarity. Although life in his mother country was content, his family eventually relocated to America in search of better education.
“[The] first month everywhere is always fun,” said Abdoulie Salla, junior.
Salla quickly adjusted to the change in atmosphere in America, the language, and the school, but he found himself struggling with socializing. But struggling is putting it lightly.
“[I] didn’t want to make any friends. I just wanted to do what I’m doing and go home,” said Salla.
Salla’s lack of social interaction prevented him from participating in extracurricular activities and getting to know the school where he would spend the next four years. His freshman year consisted of missing his friends in Senegal and Gambia and focusing on his studies. “Very boring,” as described by Salla.
It wasn’t till the end of his freshman year and the beginning of his sophomore year that he started paying more attention to his future, both in education and his career. Salla discovered that in order to get admitted into a top college, he would have to take on more challenging courses and be more active in his community. Although, he did regret taking his first AP course, AP United States Government and Politics. As it was only his second year in America, Salla was unfamiliar with the US government.
“I didn’t even know the three branches until I started the class,” said Salla. “[But] my goal is to go to the top colleges in America.”
With universities like Duke, Penn State, Berkeley, MIT, and other top colleges on his top ten list, Salla does not limit himself to colleges in the states he has lived in. Following in his father’s footsteps, he plans to graduate college and get a degree in business or marketing while still focusing some of his time on computer science.
Over the summer, Salla started his own business, Africsocial, where he creates websites for companies and essentially becomes their marketing manager. Salla’s business was highly influenced by his home countries, Senegal and Gambia, as his target customers are businesses in French-speaking countries.
Although he only had one customer, his business took off, and he was making money, “Until APUSH [AP United States History] came in, and Chemistry… then I stopped,” said Salla. “[I’m] probably not going to start again until I finish high school or college.”
Salla hopes to complete his education in America but has other plans for his future career.
“[Eventually I hope on] going back to Senegal, making a business there, and making an impact with technology… development of the country,” said Salla.
Unlike America, Senegal is not as developed, especially when it comes to technology. Salla states that in America, it is much harder to start a business or create something because “someone else already has.” America already has everything it needs, it is already a developed country. On the other hand, in Senegal, it is much easier to “create something and make it work.”
When Salla finishes his education, he hopes to make an impact in his home country. But his altruistic passion for wanting to progress underdeveloped countries further does not stop at his roots. He hopes to eventually expand his help.
“I mean, you have to start somewhere,” said Salla. “In my country first, and then around the world.”
