SOPHIA B. ADDO: Luck, Then Hard
Work
Luck,
in the form of an immigration lottery, brought Sophia B.
Addo to the United States from Ghana in 1996: a teacher
of schoolchildren in Africa, she decided to take a chance
and come to New York to further her own education. But
getting into school here was not as uncomplicated as
winning a lottery. She had her working papers, and landed
a succession of housekeeping jobs while she improved her
English. Already having passed an oral exam, she was due
to take a written test on Sept. 12 to see if she was
entitled to a G.E.D. certificate and college
eligibility.
"She wanted to learn how to pronounce the language so
she could express herself better in interviews," said her
husband of 15 months, Joseph Ameyaw. Ms. Addo's aim was a
career in teaching or nursing. In the interim, the
36-year-old tidied Windows on the World, commuting from
their Bronx apartment. "She liked to read her Bible; she
was a person who would comfort you, and when you were
unhappy with life, she would use the word of God to make
you happy," said Joseph. "To me, she was justice."
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