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Godelieve Bamani tutors peers and raises funds for African relief efforts. She plans to be a teacher.

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GODELIEVE BAMANI

SCHOOL: Portland High School

"I feel like the whole world is better when I learn something new."

Godelieve Bamani remembers when Hutu soldiers stormed her family's home in the Democratic Republic of Congo and threatened to kill them if they didn't leave the country.

Bamani was 5 years old. The soldiers targeted her family because her mother, Mary Jane, is a member of the Tutsi ethnic group.

"The guns would be in our faces, and my father would say everything would be OK. My brothers would tell me everything would be OK," Bamani said. "Them being strong for me helped me through those times."

The family eventually fled their home, spent time in a refugee camp in Benin, and came to Portland in 2000, when Bamani was 8. She graduated on June 4 from Portland High School, and plans to attend the University of New England.

She wants to become a teacher like her father, Constant, who teaches chemistry at Biddeford High School.

Bamani hopes to pass on her love of learning. "I feel like the whole world is better when I learn something new," she said.

Bamani got an early start on her career in fifth grade, when she taught French to other children at the Children's Museum of Maine. She was among the first students at Portland High to volunteer to be a tutor in a new program sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

"She has a good math background, and she places herself wherever there is the greatest need," said Kyra Adkins, a science teacher who oversees the tutoring program. "She's also a great role model, because she's self-motivated, pays attention to details and demonstrates unusual grace and resilience."

In her daily life, Bamani works part time at McDonald's. She encourages friends to read books instead of watching television, and pushes them to play video games that have a learning component rather than a violent theme.

Bamani has witnessed enough violence in her life, and she sees nothing entertaining about killing and death, even if it's imaginary.

"I remember being terrified every day and wondering when my mother wasn't going to cry anymore," she said.

Bamani has also helped Portland's Congolese community raise money to help people in need in Africa. By becoming a teacher and continuing to serve the community, she hopes to help others realize their full potentials.

"There is so much opportunity here," Bamani said. "You just have to recognize it."

Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:

kbouchard@pressherald.com