In Brest, a young Congolese migrant accepted in all his Parcoursup wishes will integrate an engineering school, his “dream”

Three years ago, Jonathan Kikanga, then 15 years old, arrived at Brest station (Finistère), a little lost. The teenager who fled the Democratic Republic of Congo does not speak French well. The first night, he spends it outside, on a bench: “I didn’t know the city, I arrived a little late, it was dark. I stayed at the station until the next day. And it was in the morning that I looked for help and they m offered to go as far as the CDAS”. In the center social action department, Jonathan is advised to push the doors of the Adjim, an association in Brest which helps young isolated migrants.

There, he is a little bored, so he decides to take lessons: “It was mostly maths and French and a bit of history. And I was lucky to have a good level and I was able to attend high school.” The young Congolese integrates a technological course at the Lycée Dupuy-de-Lôme in Brest. Very humble, he does not tell himself the tour de force he achieved after being out of school for four years, all college years. At the Adjim, a volunteer, Brigitte Millet, immediately believed in him: “If he entered second, it’s because we already knew he had abilities, whereas most of the young people we host will rather do CAPs. And then, we saw his school results which were all very very good.”

“I myself met several of his high school teachers who told me but ‘he has a very strong potential’. Really, he has very good grades”.

Brigitte Millet, volunteer at the Adjim

at franceinfo

With his average of 17.5 over the year, Jonathan makes eight wishes on Parcoursup, corresponding to 25 different formations. They are all accepted, including his first choice, INSA Lyon, a prestigious engineering school: “I was very happy, of course, since I didn’t expect it. So, I think it could help me realize one of my dreams, to be an engineer”. The bac is a formality for the young man of 18 years. The real challenge is to find how to finance his studies. Without a residence permit, he cannot apply for a grant. Once his baccalaureate is in his pocket, Jonathan hopes to have a solid enough file to obtain his papers.