Prairie High grad ‘will make the world a better place’

CEDAR RAPIDS — Whether on the soccer pitch, in the classroom or lobbying state lawmakers, Marcellin Mukendi is determined to succeed, regardless of the challenges.

An immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mukendi faced language barriers and cultural differences that would have proved daunting for any student, said Prairie High School’s Nicole Rawson.

But he remained resilient and determined, sparking a transformation that’s led to academic success and personal and professional growth.

Rawson, a college and career transition counselor at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, marveled at Mukendi’s ability to adapt and remain hopeful despite setbacks.

“With limited English skills, he just jumped right in, and is accelerated in his classes and has gotten involved” in several extracurricular activities, Rawson said.

“He is someone who, I think, has faced many challenges on his journey to college,” she said. “We're still working through them right now. But he's just rolled with everything with grace and maturity. … He's just someone who shows up, takes advantage of all the opportunities available to him, and will make the world a better place.”

Mukendi is one of 410 students who graduated Saturday from Prairie High School at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in downtown Cedar Rapids.

He moved to Cedar Rapids from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in winter 2022. His father was sick with kidney problems, leading to their move for better treatment.

“So it was really hard because we needed to find someone who can give him (the medical care he needs), but that was not possible in my country,” Mukendi said.

His older brother has lived in the United States for the last 11 years, and resides in Cedar Rapids, where the family moved for their father's treatment.

Mukendi and his family settled in Cedar Rapids on Nov. 18, 2022. He started school that December. He spoke mostly French and an English dialect native to South Africans.

His first grades came back with a “not passing” score.

“I was like, Nah, that can't happen,” Mukendi said. “So what I did first is I just translated all the English into French, and I just started reading, reading, reading, reading. And then I passed this test again and got an A. For my first achievement, I think this one really marked me, because it was really hard for me at fist. But now, I think I’m used to it. So everything that happens now, I just think I’ll be able to handle it.”

Rawson said it has been inspiring “seeing him not lose focus.”

“That resiliency, that optimism, that calm demeanor, that determination has really shown throughout this process,” she said. “He’s never lost his sense of hope.”

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Mukendi plans to continue his education at Drake University, where he’s earned a scholarship, to study business with hopes of becoming a financial manager and eventually a chief executive officer.

At Prairie, Mukendi became a top scorer in junior varsity soccer, completed a business apprenticeship through Kirkwood Community College, met with lawmakers in Des Moines as part of Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates career development and leadership training program and designed and sold school spirit apparel through Prairie’s entrepreneurship class. As part of the class, students organize and operate their own retail store — The Fan Stand, located in the school — where they learn customer service, marketing and finance.

Looking back, Mukendi marveled at his time at Prairie.

“That was my dream,” he said of pursuing a U.S. education where there’s more freedom and flexibility to choose and explore different career paths and subjects.

“Now, I'm living my dream,” Mukendi said.

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