Interested in where writing is happening in your community? Today we continue our series on the community partnership between 826michigan and the Michigan Quarterly Review. 826michigan program volunteer Megan Berkobien founded and designed the classroom self-translation workshop at Ypsilanti Community High School, and our Editor-in Chief Khaled Mattawa is a guest poet and teacher in the program.
We also share a selection of EVERYTHING YOU FIGHT FOR AND GAIN: Stories from the workshop Carrying Ourselves Across: The Art of Self-Translation, written by  student Exauce Tshiyoka, who writes in English and French.
Formidable Adaptation, by Exauce Tshiyoka
I translated because I want people to read in French. I use my language
knowledge to translate and use google for help. I also listened to the French
speaker who worked with me. Translating some words was kind of difficult.
I was most proud of the quickness I had when typing and making my
translation.
Discovering a new sport, learning the language of this sport and its rules, is not easy in the beginning. I have played soccer for fourteen years. I still play, but one day all of that stopped.
When I came to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2016, I continued to follow my dreams to become a soccer pro. I played for the Ypsi Grizzlies for two seasons. I was playing midfield for two seasons. My coach told me I had talent. It was only on me to show it. My first season I scored three goals and nine assisted goals. My second season I scored two goals and zero assisted goals. I gave up my job for my team. I was giving everything for my teammates. Some teams already started to scout me for a scholarship. My coach was helping me to have connections with college soccer teams and recruiters, but he got fired. When he got fired, it made me angry because it seemed like everything was going to fall apart. I decided to switch sports.
In summer 2018, I decided to join my high school football team. I thought it would be the same as soccer. However, it was my most formidable moment of learning. I had to know the plays in three days for my first game. I slept with the playbook to be sure to be able to understand the language on the field. I continued to learn and review with just twenty minutes before the game. Everything went well right up to the end of the game. I continued to learn and practice. I learned field goal tactics, the timing of snaps before punts, and the signs for catching before punting. All of that practice helped me to become one of the best kicker-punters. This opened the door for me to college football and most of the teams I could ever imagine.
I thank God for giving me athletic talent. Now, I have a goal to play Division One college football and after to play in the 8 NFL or AAF. This summer I have to go to national kicking camp and compete for exposure for good college football teams. Moving to the United States has made me write one of the best chapters of my life
REDOUTABLE ADAPTATION
Découvrir un nouveau sports, apprendre la langue de ce sports n’est pas facile. Au début je jouais 12 ans au soccer depuis ma naissance. J’ai toujours joué à ça. Mais un jour tout ca s’arrêta.
Lorsque je suis venu au U.S. je continuais à travailler dur pour realiser mon reve-celui de devenir joueur pro. Je portais le maillot de mon lycée. Pendant deux ans j’ai évolué sur le poste de milieu du terrain. Sur les 2 saisons passaient le coach me répétait que j’ai du talent. C’était à moi de la montre a tout le monde. Ma première saison j’avais marqué 3 buts et neuf passes décisives. La deuxième saison j’avais marqué Deux buts et Zéro passe décisive.
J’avais abandonné un job pour l’équipe et tout donné pour mes coéquipiers. Certaines équipes commencent déjà à s’intéressent à moi pour une bourse sportive. Il a fallu que je puisse m’énerver pour que tout soit coule dans l’eau. Il est arrivé que mon coach se fait révoqué à cause de son assistant. Je me suis embrouillé avec lui.
Summer 2018 à peine j’ai décidé de joindre l’équipe de football américain de mon lycée. Je pensais que les choses allaient être simple. C’est le moment la plus redoutable de mon apprentissage. Je devais savoir le tactique en moins de 3 jours pour mon premier match. Je dormais avec le cahier de tactique pour me rassurer d’être capable de comprendre la langue sur le terrain. Je continuais à apprendre jusque a moin de 20 minutes avant le match. Tout s’est bien passé au final.Je continue à bien apprendre. Cet apprentissage m’a ouvert la porte des universités, en plus de choses que je ne pouvais pas imaginer tel que la tactique of field goals, timing of long snap, signals, and catch.
Je remercie Dieu pour la grand capacité athlétique qu’il m’a donnée. J’ai été appelé pour une essaie avec l’équipe de football de mon lycée.Vite je me suis adapté et j’ai un seul objectif-de jouer la NFL.Cet été je dois aller au national kicking camp. Je suis aussi invite pour un camp au MSU.
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EVERYTHINGÂ YOU FIGHT FORÂ AND GAIN: Stories from the workshop Carrying Ourselves Across: The Art of Self-TranslationÂ
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSÂ
This publication would not have been possible without the time, dedication, & support of the following people:Â
Teachers Anisa Bega Liz SirmanÂ
Volunteers Meg Berkobien Luis Miguel dos Santos Luiza Duarte Caetano Jessica Flores Pat Gold KeAndra Hollis Luke Jackson Graham Liddell Júlia Irion Martins Susan Morrel-Samuels Susan RuellanÂ
Project & Publication Designer Meg BerkobienÂ
826 Project Coordinator David HutchesonÂ
Editorial Intern Sarah WillisÂ
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