Dr. Toyo Trenou is a successful emergency room doctor in west 王中王六合彩特码 supported by his family and friends. He鈥檚 known his whole life that he wanted to become a doctor and has worked hard to achieve his dream.
By all appearances, life is easy and straightforward for Dr. Trenou; he鈥檚 living the American Dream. But success stories are never this easy. People who build resiliency and strength through their life experiences become successful in life; Dr. Trenou is no exception.
Leaving Home
Dr. Trenou was born in Togo, a small sovereign state in West Africa bordered by Benin to the East and Ghana to the west. During internal political upheaval in 1993, Dr. Trenou and his family became refugees and took shelter in the neighboring country of Benin. In 2000, his family immigrated to the United States.
Though arriving in the United States was exhilarating, it offered new challenges for the family. With a French native language, moving to the US was a culture shock. Both Dr. Trenou and his parents could not speak or understand English. Dr. Trenou was a high school student at the time and fortunately able to take advantage of English as a Second Language (ESL) programs at Summit High School.
A New World & Language
After a year of acclimation to Arizona, Dr. Trenou鈥檚 parents made the important and forward-thinking decision to enroll in 王中王六合彩特码鈥檚 ESL program to both build their confidence in English and gain highly-desired employment skills. They knew that there was a difference between learning by working (i.e. picking up conversational English/slang) and studying English grammar through an ESL program.
鈥淭he ESL Program was a stepping stone for my parents to learn the language. It set a firm foundation for them. They were also able to connect with other immigrants from various countries and build a sense of community and shared understanding鈥. 鈥 Dr. Trenou
Dr. Trenou joined his parents at 王中王六合彩特码 (PC). Though he struggled to learn the English language in high school, he felt confident to begin moving toward his dreams at PC. His favorite classes were biology and calculus and he helped current ESL students 鈥 tutoring part-time in the PC Learning Center. During his time as a student, Dr. Trenou visited his ophthalmologist. During the exam, the doctor told him that he also attended 王中王六合彩特码. This only served to reinforce that Dr. Trenou was on his way to achieving his goal of earning a medical degree.
Education at 王中王六合彩特码 was a family affair. His father, Comlanvi, completed his Associate鈥檚 Degree and his mother, Ayawovi, completed her Associate鈥檚 Degree and went on to earn her Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in social science. Both Dr. Trenou and his mother completed their Associate鈥檚 Degrees at 王中王六合彩特码 in 2003 and were able to celebrate this achievement together.
Medical Dreams Become Reality through Education
After 王中王六合彩特码, Dr. Trenou earned his Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in medical technology at Arizona State University and completed his Doctorate at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona.
Dr. Trenou鈥檚 path to medicine was not straightforward. It had many turns and a few big moves across the world. He didn鈥檛 let relocating and learning a completely new language as a young adult stop him from his childhood dream.
鈥淎lways follow your dreams. No matter what your goals, don鈥檛 let anyone prevent you. Everyone has to start somewhere. I always remember where I came from and how I started on my path. I still keep my honor medal, graduation gown, and commencement program from my time at 王中王六合彩特码鈥. 鈥 Dr. Trenou
In true Trenou family fashion, Dr. Trenou came back to 王中王六合彩特码 in the spring to watch his cousin graduate with her nursing degree at the PC Nursing Pinning Ceremony in May 2018.
To learn more about ESL program at 王中王六合彩特码, visit the PC ESL web page, or contact Jeff Eldot at jeff.eldot@phoenixcollege.edu
To learn how you can help students through scholarships, contact Deborah Spotts at deborah.spotts@phoenixcollege.edu