From Nothing to Everything: My pathway Toward Excellence: My Pathway Toward Excellence

By Dr. Gabriel Kengni

BOOK SUMMARY

From Nothing to Everything is an inspirational book that tells the story of Dr. Gabriel Kengni, a professor, engineer, author, and National Board

Certified educator whose life started as a poor boy in the streets of Cameroon. He has since become one of the best educators in the United States of America, a merit that earn

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bano-Com LLC
• Release date: Aug 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781684712663

Book preview

An InspirationalAutobiography

Gabriel Kengni, Ph.D., CCIE, NBCT

Copyright © 2019 Gabriel Kengni, Ph.D.,CCIE,NBCT.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1267-0(sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1266-3(e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names

of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided byGettyImagesare models,andsuchimagesarebeingusedforillustrativepurposesonly.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

LuluPublishingServicesrev.date:10/28/2019

To my wife, Clotilde Wessibe Kengni.

We have an indivisible bond.

Tomychildren,Valerie,Cedric, Erick, and GabrielJr.They are dear to me.

Tomygodmother, the late MamanVeroniqueNoula,whogaveme unconditionallove.

To my mother-in-law, Maman Kambo Mangwa Genevieve, who made my family life a success.

Tomylatefather,thekingofBano(NzotamPierre),andmylatemother,thequeenofBano(NougouniSuzanne).

Tomy youngerbrothers, HisMajesty,kingofBano (AlbertDjoumsie),and Miafo Kamgang J. Robert, andsister, MefoAngelMekengTekoudjou.

To my late aunt Marie Yangni, with whom I lived in Melong for seven years.

To my brothers and sisters from the Bano Kingdom.

To my dear village, Fotouni, and its people.

To Mr. Bernard Dechouake (Gabon).

Contents

Acknowledgments      vii

BookSummary      ix

Introduction      1

MyOrigins      3

MyDestiny      13

Bridge 1TakingMatters intoMyOwnHands      39

Bridge 2 Dropping Out of School—The Tipping

PointThatBroughtMetotheEdge      47

Bridge 3Venturinginto theUnknownFuture      73

Bridge 4  Dilemma—EuropeorAmerica      101

Bridge 5MyForeign Student Status and CollegeTuition      117

Bridge 6FromEngineertoEducator      143

Bridge 7  Reachingthetop      153

Appendix      161

References      165

AbouttheAuthor      173

Acknowledgments

I wouldliketorecognizeeveryonewho had apositiveimpact inmylifeandwhohelpedsupportmyeffortsin writingthisbook.Thiswork is not my achievement alone;itwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouthelpandsupport fromsomany people.No onedeservesmoregrateful recognitionthanmywife,ClotildeW.Kengni.Withouthersacrifice,love,andmoralsupport,thisworkwould havebeenmuch harder.Thanksto thestudents,teachers,administrators,andstaffoftheMontgomeryCountyPublicSchool,Maryland.Aspecialthanksto Ms.JeannetteBlackwood(instructionalspecialist),Mr.RichardJames(assistantprincipal),andDr.IraK.Thomas (principal) for alwaysbelieving inme.

Special thanks to the following:

Mylatechildhoodfriend Tamko Michel for helping findmyfirstjobintherestaurantasadishwasheratthe ageofseven.

Mr.TcheumeniGabriel,achildhood friendwhoconvinced me not to drop out ofelementaryschool but insteadtogotoanightschool,workduringtheday,andsavemoneyforhighschool.

Mychildhood friendsMagniDiou Madelene Takna, Mr.TitchomJoseph,Mrs.DjambouVeronique,andMr.

PaulKengniforsupportingandbelievinginmedespitemylevelofpoverty.Theysupportedmemorallyallthrough middleandhighschool.Iwillalwaysrememberyou.

Mr.EssokeEkomboBlaise,principaloftheLyceeduManengouba de Nkongsamba, ahighschool locatedin Cameroon,Africa,forseeinga leaderinme at a young age.Underhisadministration,Iwasboardmasterinour boardingschoolandtreasureroftheschoolgovernment association.

MyhighschoolclassmateLuminuJean,whousedtolendmehisclothesandshoeswhenIhadtogooutbecauseI hadnone.

Thanksto Dr.Michel Lenoforintroducingmeto awomanwhohasbeenmyspousefor morethantwodecades.

Manythanksgo to Dr.LeeLeitner,myPhD thesischairperson,forall hisencouragement, patience,andinvaluableguidance.

ThankstoDr.RollinsS.GuildandDr.GregE.SimcoforbeinginmyPhDdissertationcommitteeandfortheirvaluablecomments, suggestions, and contributions to thesuccessofthethesis.

ThankstoDr.J. J.Garcia-Luna-Aceves,Dr.BillZaumen,andDr.ShreeMurthyforprovidingmewithall theinformationonARPANETtopologythatIneededfor my laboratorywork.

ThankstoDr.JulesKouatchouforhissupportandformakingmy laboratoryworkenjoyable.

Thanks to Kate DalyforeditingmyPhDdissertation thesis.

BOOK SUMMARY

FromNothingtoEverythingisaninspirationalbookthat tells the storyof Dr.GabrielKengni,aprofessor,engineer,author,and NationalBoard

Certifiededucatorwhoselifestartedasapoorboyin thestreetsofCameroon.Hehassincebecomeoneofthe besteducatorsintheUnitedStatesofAmerica,ameritthatearnedhiman invitation to the White House.Althoughpeoplewillseehissuccessastheresultofhardworkanddetermination,Dr.Kengnithinksitisbythe graceof God.Dr.KengniwasborninCameroon,aCentralAfricacountry,intheearlysixties.He is fromapolygamousfamily.Hisfather,KingNzotam,haduptofifteenwives, andhismother,Nougouni,wasthequeenmother.

Dr.Kengni takestimeinthisbook todescribehow childrenareraisedinapolygamousfamily.HealsohasachapteronhowtobecomeakingintheBamilékéregionofCameroon.Dr.Kengnihadachallengingupbringing.In thisbook,hedivideshisstruggleintostepsthathenames bridges. A bridge is aperiodofhis lifewhere he had to make a critical decision; any of those decisionscouldhaveendedhisdreamifawrongdecisionhadbeenmade.Usuallyinthelifeof achild, thesedecisions aremadebyparents,but he