Freshman Marfo making herself at home in new country

Pencader freshman Nana Marfo (right) and her younger sister Maame Yaa at their home in Ghana, Africa, just before they moved to America to join their parents and little brother.

May 23, 2012 • By Patrick Scarola, Staff Reporter  
Filed under News, Top Stories

Nana Marfo is only 15 years old, but she has come a long way in life.

Literally.

Just six months ago, Marfo was living in her homeland of Ghana, Africa. But then she and her younger sister, Maame Yaa, moved across the sea to American soil, joining their parents, who had settled in Newark two years earlier.

Marfo then enrolled in Pencader Charter High School as a freshman.

Apparently, it did not take her long to get comfortable in her new surroundings. Due to her success in the freshman course “Introduction to Literature,” Marfo was named the school’s April student of the month for English.

“America is very different from Ghana,” said Marfo. “The food here is great, and the classes are easier.”

Marfo was born in Tema, a large fishing city with a year-round warm climate that is located on the Atlantic Coast of Ghana. As a native Ghanaian, she has had to adapt to the American way of life, which she has embraced.

But of course there are people and aspects of her homeland that she will always remember.

“One thing I miss most about Africa is my friends,” said Marfo. “Also, I miss the weather there. It’s always sunny.”

With her 95 grade in English class in the third quarter, and her 95 average thus far in the fourth quarter, Marfo appears to be already comfortable in American classrooms.

“Nana stands out because she does everything that a good student should do,” said Rich Dale, Nana’s English teacher. “She stays on task, is respectful, and really wants to learn.”

A monthly tradition for Pencader students, the student-of-the-month award is a way for teachers to recognize those students who are excelling or improving in the classroom.

The other students honored for their efforts in April were: junior Felix Ackon (business); junior Mariela Reza-Ibanez (social studies); freshman Nick DelleDonne (significant improvement); sophomore Brian Smith (math); freshman Paolo Tiamson (health); and sophomore Adrian John (science).

“Winning the award feels good,” said DelleDonne. “It’s a real honor.”

Marfo echoed that thought.

“It feels great,” said Marfo. “I put forth a lot of effort into my work, and took part in class, and it paid off.”

And now she has one more story to share with her friends back in her homeland.

Tags: Ackon, Dale, DelleDonne, John, Marfo, Reza-Ibanez, Scarola, Smith, Tiamson

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