Edson Chipalo originally from Zambia, Chipalo grew up in a village without electricity or running water. Orphaned after his parents died when he was a young child, he lived with his grandparents who are subsistence farmers.
His childhood in Zambia was very difficult and he was often depressed. “My childhood was filled with sorrow. I was a despondent child and I did not think that I would ever have a better future. If I could count my fallen tears — they could fill an ocean. If my heart had a window — you could see all my pain and scars,” Chipalo said.
Program of Study – Criminal Justice
I was born in the village in Zambia, grew up in abject poverty, and became an orphan at 8. I was kicked out of school because I couldn’t afford tuition fees, I turned to farming to survive.
I never attended my first two terms of high school, all because of financial constraints(poverty). I hassled throughout my early life with so many rejections and disappointments. However, I had one goal in mind, never to let negativity to sabotage the bright future ahead of me. My journey has been from village to victory, grass to grace, poverty to progress, rejections to receiving.
I hardly knew that a villager like me, without any trace of importance would one day ever leave the confines of my village to travel around the world, coming to America penniless without any relative or close family member, yet I entered college with more than 10 scholarships, debt free, and graduated summa laude.
I started my PhD on fully funded fellowship etc… None of these milestones of success were achieved by my own abilities, but by God’s unwavering grace alone. Today, I stand to witness God’s amazing grace at all phases of my life. To those of you who have lost hope, remember this. Be faithful to God and trust him, He will take care of you”
-Edson Chipalo
Today, all of those experiences fuel his drive and passion to live a better life. “My motivation and desire to make my dreams come true is like a burning flame that not even the fire brigades can extinguish,” said Chipalo.
“People thought that I’d never go anywhere because I was an orphan, but I know that’s not the case. I know I can succeed as long as I work hard and be good to people around me,” he said.
“Every tear that dropped from my eyes gives me strength to work hard so that the horrendous past doesn’t replicate in my future.”
-Edson Chipalo
Courtesy: Berkshirecc.edu
