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Kurdistan to Kingsbury, he outdistances disadvantage
Taha tries to beat Memphis Catholic's Sean Hines to the ball during a match.
Taha's soccer passion led him to paint a mural in teacher Dale Grime's Visual Arts classroom, a rare honor.
Kingsbury High School senior Taha Jan (right) gets a question right during a Knowledge Bowl competition against a team of teachers. Taha captained the team, which included (from left) Qiaohua Lin, 19, Wayne French, 19, and Danny Grubbs, 16.
Taha, whose family fled Kurdistan, monitors the war in Iraq from a computer in the guidance office. He was elated the day Iraqis pulled down a statue of Saddam Hussein.
By Aimee Edmondson
edmondson@gomemphis.com
May 26,
2003
Kingsbury High soccer player Taha Jan wears a stoic
mask when his opponents talk trash.
But he's laughing inside when somebody jeers: "Go back to your own country!"
Some do stumble, but Taha's English is impeccable.
This year's valedictorian, Taha, 17, grew up in Kurdistan. At age 10, his family fled to the United States to escape Saddam Hussein's reign of terror.
He's one of the smallest players on the soccer team.
But he delivers a mighty wallop with his mischievous post-match handshake, wide grin and perfectly pronounced: "You played a good game."
Students at Kingsbury hail from 28 countries. It's a school where Taha, with his thick black hair, dark eyes and skin, fits right in.
But it's also a school where Taha and his parents, both teachers in Kurdistan, wonder if he's gotten enough college preparation.
He's a math whiz headed to Vanderbilt University with dreams of medical school.
Adnan Jan tried to get his son into White Station Middle's optional program, but his English scores were too low at the time.
He missed nearly all the sixth grade when the family fled to Turkey, then to a refugee camp in Guam - where he spent his 11th birthday.
Yet he rarely had to study for his A's at Kingsbury.
Adnan Jan, 60, now a city schools translator, wonders if his son's 27 on the ACT could've been higher if the school were tougher.
Kingsbury's average score is 16.7. The state and national average is 20.
Taha asked his teachers for the more challenging Advanced Placement (AP) classes. They offered them this year, the first time in years.
Taha took three: U.S. history, English and biology.
"The teachers are tougher and I like that," said Taha, who wants a career in orthopedic surgery after seeing a hip replacement on TV.
Loves a challenge
Taha's the kind of guy who pops up at the alarm clock's first ring and has a string of perfect attendance certificates on his bedroom wall.
The school had its first Knowledge Bowl team this year. Taha was its captain.
The team challenged teachers to a match this month, and though they lost 37-16, Taha's team wowed the student body in several close calls.
The math problems were often just a foot race. Midway through, teachers and students hustled to solve 92 + 14 +43.
Though he was battling the math department head, Taha buzzed in first and won the point with his "146" as students roared approval.
Taha is a mix of American and international culture.
He's crazy about The Simpsons but hops up in the wee hours for World Cup soccer.
He loves rock and rap and his mom's okra soup.
When his family left their homeland, they lost everything: The banks seized their money; they gave their house to a relative.
Knowing that makes Taha try even harder to take advantage of all his parents have given him.
He also figures he might just be the only "Kurdish guy" people ever meet.
"I would like to leave a good impression."
Taha doesn't spend much time on girls, though he does get their attention.
Take Sarah Key, who made up The Taha Song and likes to sing it to him before English class.
Sarah created her song to the tune You are My Sunshine.
Taha inches lower in his chair and blushes as she sings:
"You are my Taha, my only Taha. You make me happy, when skies are blah"
He's back in his element with English teacher Dana Bishop's vocabulary challenge, where students share their newest word acquisitions.
Taha's was "salubrious," which means "healthy."
Those trash-talking soccer players just had no idea.
- Aimee Edmondson:
529-2773