Marie Eyenga, a freshman, has shown great commitment to our community and everything our school has to offer. Marie was born in Cameroon, moving first to California when she was 8 years old with her dad and his girlfriend, leaving behind her mom and brother in Africa. She then moved to Tucson last year and joined us here at Sahuaro.
Even though Marie’s first language is French, she was placed in a bilingual primary school and spoke French and English in Cameroon. When she moved to the U.S., the biggest adjustment was getting used to how fast Americans speak.
“And then when I came here like it was kind of harder to adapt because the way people speak was a bit faster than what I was used to. But other than that, it was just like I already knew the language. It’s just to be integrated in a country where you know it’s kind of like fast-paced,” Marie said, reflecting on her time when she first moved to America.
Marie joined the TUPE Program (Tobacco Use Prevention Program) last year while still in California and explained, “We spread awareness about using tobacco products and teaching our peers on the dangers of vaping.” She loved her time in the program and made a lot of friends, and looking back on the experience, she wishes she could have taken the program with her to Tucson.
When moving here, she automatically made an impact by joining our Cross-Country and track-and-field teams and landing the roles of Freshman Student Council President and manager of the Boys’ Soccer team. She deepened her role in Student Council, taking on the responsibility of Beautify Sahuaro Chair and organizing events such as Senior Rock Painting, trash cleanup, and other bonding activities in collaboration with the Team Bonding committee.
Marie hopes to go to UC Berkeley to follow in her father’s footsteps, where she plans to study law and become a lawyer, something she has aspired to do since elementary age. The 2020 election was the catalyst for her plans, because if Kamala Harris could become vice president why couldn’t she? She knew she wanted to seek justice for others and help those in her community. After becoming a prosecutor, Marie plans on becoming a politician representing the Democratic party as either a governor or senator.
But before she gets to college, she needs to finish high school life. Sadly, Marie won’t be finishing her story here, and will have to move schools once her family moves homes. She has already made a lasting impact, and even though she’s leaving, her mark will be not only on her friends and teachers, but on the rock garden.
