‘Destined’: Penn grad Aminata Sy’s story of resilience
Aminata Sy moved to Philadelphia when she was 21, and went from dropout to Ivy graduate. With a supportive family and now a position as a U.S. Diplomat, she defied the odds.
Listen 10:10
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was a dangerous place for women and girls when 10-year-old Aminata Sy left the country, without her parents. After a decade in Senegal with her aunt, she came to Philadelphia with limited education, money and without speaking English. She and her husband opened a West Philly restaurant and she became a mother, but the itch to receive a formal education came back.
From a kids’ book challenge and remedial math lessons to the University of Pennsylvania and position as a U.S. Diplomat, Aminata’s story is one of persistence, resilience and letting go in the pursuit of a dream. She talks with Cherri Gregg about her journey and her new memoir, Destined: A Story of Resilience and Beating the Odds.
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