Star Student Christine Mwangi of the Elms finds motivation through her Kenyan heritage

When Christine Mwangi started preschool, she could only speak two words in English: "hi" and "bye."

Her parents arrived in the United States from Kenya in 2001.

Mwangi recently graduated from Our Lady of the Elms High School in Akron, where she was one of the top students and widely respected for her passion for language, literature and her own Kenyan culture.

Mwangi has been named one of this year’s three top Star Students. She was selected from more than 100 graduating seniors. The annual program by The Canton Repository, Akron Beacon Journal, The Record-Courier and The Daily Record recognizes the region’s outstanding high school graduates.