By Mark Muckenfuss

Recognizing the contributions of those who’ve come from foreign countries during Immigrant Heritage Month is important, said Dennis Kombe, a professor of mathematics education at CSU Monterey Bay. 

“An immigrant story is a story of resilience and adaptation,” Kombe said. 

Kombe, who is from Kenya, has his own story to add to the mix. Born in the small community of Mumias on the western edge of the country, not far from the Ugandan border, he grew up on a sugar cane farm. His family also owned a small neighborhood convenience store, where Kombe worked as a youngster. 

The oldest of five children, he was expected to set an example, he said. 

“There are expectations,” he said. “You have to be studious. You have to be a role model.”

His father’s advice to him was simple: Study hard and go make something of yourself.

Kombe had ideas of becoming an engineer or studying business or food technology. But space in higher education was limited in Kenya, particularly in his region. Students were placed in programs that had room. He ended up in education. He took math and economics classes as his core subjects. While he enjoyed working with students during his student teaching, job prospects were slim for teachers, so he began studying to be an accountant after graduation. 

A year later, on a cousin’s advice, he took a job as a teacher in Botswana, where there was a shortage of educators. In his four years there, he taught mathematics and business studies at a community college and was a junior high school teacher. He also met his Zambian wife while working there.

When an opportunity came to teach in the United States, the couple decided to take advantage of it. 

“It was like, ‘This is an interesting chapter. Let’s see what it has in store,’” he said. 

While the language barrier in Botswana – he had to learn the local language, Setswana – had left him feeling alienated for his first year there, the things he encountered as an immigrant when he arrived in Charleston, S.C., were markedly different.

He felt welcomed, even though every once in a while, he said, “The nuances of race would creep in. There was always some underlying tension you had to deal with.”

Very often, it was nothing he could put his finger on.

“It was never overt,” he said. Often, it was a case of recognizing a subtle slight after the fact. “It was like, ‘Did I just hear what I think I heard?’”

Rather than return to Kenya when his contract was up, Kombe decided to enroll at the College of Charlston and pursue a master’s degree. 

One of his professors noticed his dedication and suggested he get his Ph.D., so he did, enrolling at Clemson University. When he finished, he expected to find a position at a college or university on the East Coast, but CSUMB made him an offer before anyone else did. 

Kombe said he’s happy to find himself in what he finds to be a more accepting culture. 

“We’ve met people from such a wide variety of backgrounds,” he said. “My kids have friends from all over. It’s been a wonderful experience.”

Being an immigrant helps to inform his work, he said. 

“My experience outside of the country really brings context to the work I’m doing in the U.S.,” Kombe said. “I can give students examples of how things are being done in other countries. That comes in really handy.”

And, he says, he is better able to relate to many of his students. 

“A majority of the students I have in class have some experience with the immigration process,” he said. “I can empathize and really understand where they are coming from.”

He can also continue being a role model.

“It’s like, ‘I’ve done it, and so can you,’” he said.