Yacouba Ouologuem is a 14-year-old sophomore from Mali. This is his first year in the U.S and hearing the difference between Mali and Texas brings new perspectives. From living around bats and owning ostriches, to moving to the Lone Star State, Yacouba has experienced a mixture of feelings, he said. The feeling of having to move with such short notice was stressful for him, leaving behind friends and the place he had lived for his whole life.

The events that led up to Yacouba coming to the U.S are interesting as he didn’t expect the news.

“It was kind of sudden but my parents wanted me to have a better education, so I came here to live with my cousins,” Yacouba said.

Even though he is only 14, he is a sophomore because of the academic differences between Mali and the U.S.

Yacouba was sad when he had to move and still has a feeling of homesickness.

“When I had to move, I was caught off guard,” Yacouba said. “Now I mostly feel sad knowing I now live here.”

The United States is known to match some stereotypes according to foreigners.

“It matched a few expectations like the area but I wasn’t expecting the atmosphere of Texas,” Yacouba said. “It’s much colder than Mali and the weather is very exciting because you can never really know what can occur.”

The lifestyle in Mali is very different from the U.S. Even though Mali is a developing country, there is luxury in some parts of the country.

“My lifestyle in Mali was luxurious and easy,” Yacouba said. “I lived in a mansion with a pool with minimal worries.”

Compared to Mali, his U.S lifestyle might seem lackluster, but he doesn’t dwell on wealth or royalty. His family seems very interesting with lots of depth between the members.

“My family was strict so I like to stay on their good side,” Yacouba said. “Some of my older siblings are around the U.S. and can speak Mandarin and other languages.”

He has many siblings who are around the world and also are very successful–some are in China, others in the United States. Due to the scattering, Yacouba doesn’t meet with his siblings very often, but he hopes to follow in their footsteps.

Some might be surprised by his skill in English despite it being his third language. He first learned French and Bambara.

Some countries around the world are misrepresented. False assumptions about nations are quite common in certain locations.

“I think my country isn’t misrepresented,” Yacouba said. “Many people don’t even know my country exists.”