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Pak Lul

PAK LUL

North Yarmouth Academy

Pak Lul came to the United States 10 years ago, knowing nothing about the country and speaking little English.

Lul, 19, is now a graduate of North Yarmouth Academy with plans to attend Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.

"My family had to leave Sudan because of the war, and I was born in Ethiopia," he said.

When he was around 5, Lul and an older sister moved to a different refugee camp so that he could attend school.

"That's when I last saw my parents," he said.

Lul has spoken with them a few times over the phone since he's been here.

"It's hard to reach them sometimes because they don't really have a phone," Lul said. "I've talked to my mom twice since I've been here, and my dad, I've spoken to him once."

After moving to the different camp, Lul's sister applied for resettlement. His sister, her husband, their two children and Lul ended up moving to the United States together.

Coming to America was a big adjustment. "I came here knowing nothing," Lul said.

On the plane ride over, Lul tried ice cream for the first time.

"That didn't go too well," he said.

Over time, though, Lul has adjusted to "the little things," he said. "Like cold milk. That was kind of weird because back home, we just got it straight from the cow."

Not long after Lul arrived in Portland, he had a particularly scary experience, when an evening at home was interrupted by a series of loud booms.

"We just had no idea what it was," Lul said.

Lul said he was reminded of a time when he was 4, and his family had to flee a raid on their home in Ethiopia. Lul said he had to run from the house in the middle of the night under gunfire.

Ultimately, Lul learned that the Portland explosions were fireworks at nearby Hadlock Field, where the Sea Dogs were play.

At the time, Lul didn't know what the Sea Dogs or fireworks were, but he's since learned.

"I'm a lot more American now," Lul said.

Even so, there are new challenges. When his sister decided to move to Nebraska, Lul found himself living with an American family for the first time.

"That was pretty tough," he said. "It was my first year not living with an African family."

But Lul did get to see his sister again this year -- North Yarmouth Academy raised the money to fly her to Maine for Lul's graduation.

Staff Writer Isaac Kestenbaum can be contacted at 791-6308 or at:

ikestenbaum@pressherald.com