Imagine finding a mountain and starting to climb it. It takes a tremendous amount of time just to get halfway. Now, halfway there, a view of the peak is visible, but you must go back to the bottom and look for another path.
Not everyone is willing to start over again, but Kirkwood Community College student Alex Choquemamani Ccalli is among the few with immense courage to begin a new journey to the top.
Choquemamani, originally from Peru, is a journalism major at Kirkwood. He was a lawyer in Peru and worked as a professor. Like many immigrants, some of his expectations of America were met.
“I love American culture, American literature, American music—jazz music,” said Choquemamani. He also said another expectation he had was learning the language.
“English is not something easy like it’s probably one of these skills that you need that has its own process,” he said.
Choquemamani said he still loves the law, but chose journalism because he wants to reach more people.
He loves to share stories, such as his experiences as a former law professor, or just what he can find outside on the streets, concerts, museums and protests. Also, journalism has helped him find his voice.
Choquemamani said one of his goals is to improve his English writing skills. “I know how to write Spanish articles like feature articles and profile articles, so my goal is now to write articles in English.”
Another goal is to publish a book on his published articles and stories, he added. Kirkwood has been an immense help to Choquemamani. He said the college has helped him learn the language and journalism.
“I guess I can say Kirkwood is a very good place to start a new life for every immigrant,” said Choquemamani. He added that he loves the public feeling that Kirkwood provides.
Choquemamani works at Kirkwood in Coralville in the testing and English as a Second Language (ESL) department, helping others get their high school and equivalence diplomas.
“I’m thinking about these other immigrants who are looking for new opportunities or they have other projects or maybe they’re looking for a safe place,” said Choquemamani.
“As I mentioned, being a professor in the past, but now a student, it’s never late to learn something new,” said Choquemamani. “It’s like each experience gives you more confidence,” he added.
Categories: Feature, Student Spotlight
