The tale of Sudanese student who graduated from high school in Spokane after suffering abuse from drinking mother
For Achan Akon, it wasn’t an easy decision to report her mother who often abused her while she was much younger.
Achan’s mother who became a refugee after surviving South Sudan’s brutal civil war, according to her daughter, became a serial drunkard and abuser.
Achan thought all her mother’s suffering, contributed to her problem in a way she unleashed abuses on her and her siblings.
The Sudanese student who just graduated high school in Spokane, recalls a night in particular during her eighth-grade year.
“It was two weeks before Christmas break when I had a terrible beating from my mom,” she says. “I thought I would die.”
Those aforementioned weeks, according to Achan was a nightmare that she was left with no option but to call CPS, which had already opened a case against the family.
Shortly thereafter, Achan, along with her four other siblings, were placed in foster care.
During the course of the past five years Akon, now 19, has lived with three foster families and attended four high schools.
Having gone through these difficulties, Achan earned her diploma on June 9 from the On Track Academy. “I feel like I broke a family chain,” she says. “I did the impossible.”
Surprisingly, Achan has started making peace with her mother, who has stopped drinking as heavily. “I’m pretty proud of her,” Akon said. “She’s not the mother I knew five years ago.”
Achan’s mother, Tereza Awan has also reunited with all Achan’s siblings who are all girls.
One Aly Peone who’s Achan’s case manager has been consistently impressed by the young lady’s drive and determination.
In a new development, Aly is helping Achan in securing a fully independent life from the traditional living. “It was amazing to see someone with every reason to quit, and she didn’t quit,”Aly says.
Aly adds that from the onset, Achan has been pushing for more freedom to get out of the system.
Scott Sorenson, Achan’s teacher at the On Track Academy, echoed Peone, saying “Achan would have every excuse to throw the towel in, and milk the system.”
Having gained her full independence, Achan looks forward to enrolling at Spokane Community College.
Amongst the many things she plans to do with her life thereafter, Achan seeks to gain American citizenship, become a lawyer, assisting immigrants and refugees.
