Ishmael Beah is coming to Langley.
Author of “A Long Way Gone,” Beah suffered as a child soldier in Sierra Leone, but was eventually able to overcome his past and begin a new life in New York City.
Now a distinguished Human Rights Activist, he will give a speech titled “A Message of Hope and Redemption” to Langley’s freshmen class on June 5th from 8-9:30am. There will also be a meet and greet the night before, from 6-9pm, where he will be signing copies of his book.
“It was very touching, the experiences that young kids [Beah’s] age are going through. I think it’s really interesting and amazing that they arranged for him to come. There’s the book signing on June 4 and the presentation to the freshmen class on June 5,” said Ian Suzuki.
When the freshmen class was assigned to read Beah’s memoir this year, students found themselves moved by his unbelievable story. Freshman English teacher Julia Ventimiglia noticed the strikingly positive reactions, which inspired her to invite Beah inside the walls of Langley.
Ventimiglia spent two weeks contacting various agencies, and through a number of emails, finally got a response. “He’s very engaging online, so I thought why not give it a try? The worst thing he can do is say no.” she said.
“I’m really excited because he’s such an inspiration. He’s someone who everyone can look up to considering his past.” stated freshman Nolte Delk.
In response to Beah’s experiences, freshman Lindsay Van Houten said,“It was very devastating and it doesn’t seem real because it’s so traumatizing and devastating.”
Students helped with the process as well by reaching out to Beah through Facebook and Twitter with brief accounts on why he should visit Langley.
A reply from an agency, however, quickly led to the difficult task of paying Beah’s large fee, finding dates and completing endless trails of paperwork. However, due to the assistance of many dedicated people, Beah’s arrival became finalized.
Assistant principal Jessica Statz said, “Now that the details have finally been confirmed, we’re very excited! It’s going to be a great experience for the kids and for me as well.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity for our students to learn directly from the author about aspects of the world today that are so different from the world here in the United States,” said History and Geography teacher Steve Plunkett.