I have never seen a person like Nkusu! Nkusu Schlandu is a freshman student of DePaul University with a major in biology. She came to the United States from the Central African country of Zaire three years ago. I have never seen a such successful and caring person like this twenty-two-year-old girl. Nkusu is an independent, open-minded, decisive, motivated person as well as a caring member of the family, a considerate friend and a patriotic citizen of her country.

It is a pleasure for me to talk with her because she is easy to get to know. A lot of Nkusu’s friends think that she is romantic. I have never seen physically and spiritually a beautiful girl like Nkusu. This person has a noble black face. She has a big forehead and deep, mysterious eyes. I like her perfect nose and smooth hair. Although she does not look like a modern fashion model, her beauty is far beyond average. There is something special in her smile and the smooth pitch of her voice. Nkusu is a little bit taller than I. Her figure has good proportions. Also, she is comfortable with casual and formal style. I am sure that she has a high-quality taste. Her physical attractiveness unites with great personal traits. Her positive speech attracts not only me, but a lot of people. Nkusu has very soft features. People who see her cannot think that this elegant girl does hard, physical work every day in order to survive in the United States. She can behave herself. Her actions, speech, self-esteem prove it.

Let me begin with her biography. Ms. Schlandu was born in the capital of the underdeveloped country Zaire, in the city of Kampese in a middle class, crowded family. Nkusu has five sisters and one brother. Most of her time in Zaire she studied at school and was involved in Christian church activities. Since she was shy and romantic, Schlandu did not have friends. After finishing high school, at the age of nineteen she decided to challenge herself. She immigrated to the USA in search of educational and financial opportunities. Ms. Schlandu came to her elder sister in Chicago. Without knowledge of the English language, a shy, sensitive, and poor girl arrived to the “land of gold and opportunity” as a lot of people call the US. Nkusu told me that it was very difficult for her to live in the United States. It is interesting that she did not die or change her mind after three years of living here.

Nkusu is an independent kind of person. Her goal is to become an independent and rich woman. Indeed she is an individual who values her own persuasion and hates it when somebody intervenes in her personal business. After the arrival to the U.S. she lived with her elder sister who gave her an invitation to America. Few months after the arrival it was a rainy day. Nkusu was talking with her friend. Suddenly, Nkusu’s sister came to the room and ordered her to go to church immediately. ”I don’t want to go to church now.” Nkusu said, “I’ll go to church next time.” ”Go now,” her sister shouted. Since Nkusu was dependent on her sister, she had to go to church. “I was mad at my pushy sister. My sister does not help me a lot. She pushes me to perform her stupid tasks. Nobody should force any person to do something that a person does not want to do,” Nkusu told me. Now Nkusu is financially independent. She is capable of paying rent for her own apartment. Also, Ms. Schlandu pays for clothes, food, and transportation by herself.

Nkusu is an open-minded person. She always seeks knowledge, new feelings and wants to get the best education. Although she began to study at a community college, now Ms. Schlandu studies at DePaul University, and has a lot of friends. She likes to read sentimental and romantic books as well as textbooks. Nkusu enjoys listening to traditional African music as well as songs of Michael Jackson. Although she likes the wild nature of her native country, Lake Michigan is the most beautiful place she has ever seen. Nkusu likes to travel. She has been in Indiana, New York City, Arizona. Also, she has traveled to Ohio twice. This traveler told me, ”I have learned and understood different cultures.”

Only a decisive person could have done what she has done during her living in the United States. Although she could not have found a job right away, she has not given up. Nkusu has learned the English language at Truman College and worked as a babysitter and a homemaker for sick and disabled people for a minimum wage. She told me in spite of the fact that a lot of African-Americans preferred complaining about race discrimination and did not accept low paying jobs, she did not believe in black discrimination in the United States and had accepted hard work. She has learned to drive a car as well as to cook American food. She has gotten a job for more than $7 per hour. Nkusu has bought her own apartment. Indeed she has done a lot of things.

I can see her success. She is already smarter than a lot of people. Nkusu knows four languages: Lingala, Kikongo, French, and English. Although she works full-time as a laundry finisher, she has time to enjoy studying at DePaul. Moreover, she is able not only to clean her apartment and clothes properly, but does homework for classes on time. Yes, she is a decision-making type.

It is easy to see that she is a motivated person. Nkusu possesses a rare strong character, but she wants to improve her hair like other girls. She fought with her sisters in her childhood. Also, she can cry like any other human too. For instance, she cried a week ago because of the problems at the work and at the school. She cried and prayed a lot. Eventually she overcame these problems. Who helped her? She answered to me, “It was God.” I think that motivation and talent aimed her. Although she does not go to church as often as she did in Zaire, she still believes in God. Nkusu thinks that God is good. I guess that it helps her to overcome problems and to have positive thoughts.

Although since this girl has come to Chicago her life has changed a lot, she has not forgotten her family, motherland, and African heritage. Nkusu regularly reads the magazine for black people Ebony. She likes to find information about activities of the black community in the United States. Nkusu studies American slang of African-Americans. She wants to have a lot of friends among them. Nkusu thinks that culture of black people in the U.S.A. is closer to white people in this country than to lifestyles of Zairians. Ms. Schlandu is proud of her African heritage. She believes that Africans have great potential. ”Africans are as good as any other nation,” she told me. Although she is glad that the U.S. gives food to some hungry African countries --for instance, to citizens of Rwanda-- she is against of the intervention of the United States in the internal political affairs of African countries. Nkusu believes that the current president of Zaire exists only because of the support of the United States. She thinks that it is unfair. Africans are capable of doing a great job as well as the choosing of their leaders by themselves. Her life is the best proof of it. Nkusu regularly sends letters to her parents, sisters and little brother. She wants to send money to her family in the future. Also, she likes her country so much that she prefers to be a doctor in a poor Zairian hospital rather than to be a doctor in the affluent U.S. She does not like that the death rate is higher in African countries than in “developed” countries, and she wants to treat and to save citizens of her country. In spite of the fact that Nkusu is a gentle and peaceful person, she is ready not only to fight, but even to be killed in some cases. She can fight to death if somebody attacks her family, close friends or her country.

Nkusu is a considerate friend. Ms. Schlandu always gives right advice and money to a friend or just to a person when he or she asks her. Also, it is hard to believe, but this is true. I asked her to give me $30, and she agreed to give it to me. Also, she can understand humor easily. We both like the same movie Coming to America with Eddie Murphy in the main role.