P&G

Geographically, Lebanon is less than half the size of Vermont. Departing such a small country for the United States is a gargantuan leap, and the squaremileage metric only begins to tell the story. Elia Kiameh took this leap in October and began classes as a sophomore at CBHS on November 2nd. Through the efforts of his family in the suburbs of Beirut and an aunt and uncle (Rita and Fadi Kaimeh) who call Germantown home, Elia is pursuing his studies at Christian Brothers and enjoying life as a Memphian, particularly the access to a certain NBA team.

Lebanon tends to make news in America only when there’s strife with Syria (to the north) or Israel (to the south). A terrorist organization, Hizballah, calls sections of Lebanon home. But only sections. It’s the crumbling infrastructure — diminished access to electricity, water, and gas, along with a collapsed banking industry — that has led to an exodus of Lebanese from their native country. Elia studied at a Catholic school — Saint Joseph School Cornet Chahwan — but when students were forced to stay home during the pandemic, the lack of electricity made “virtual” learning impossible. An overseas dialogue began that led, ultimately, to a flight itinerary that sent Elia from Qatar to Dallas to Memphis.

Fadi Kaimeh, Elia’s father’s brother and a Christian Brothers alum, credits CBHS admissions director Lauren Volpe and a team of lawyers — Lynn Susser, James Hollis, John Bobango, and Alan Crone among them — for expediting Elia’s student-visa process, an exchange of documents through the U.S. embassy in Lebanon, and the interview that secured Elia’s passage west. (Elia notes the irony of the interviewer not even asking about his education plans.) The Catholic Diocese also had to complete an application, essentially requesting Elia’s transfer to CBHS. And Congressman David Kustoff made the connection with the embassy. “When you come to the United States,” says Fadi, “there’s a process. I’ve been through it, but it’s been 30 years, and I haven’t done it as a student.”

“Our hope,” explains Rita, “is for Elia to finish his high school education here, then go back to help his family in Lebanon.” Elia’s parents and four younger siblings — three brothers and a sister — remain in Lebanon. Elia chats with his family via FaceTime twice a day, before school (with his siblings), and on his ride home from school. (His parents stay up late for the nightly conversation.) He has friends who also left Lebanon, some for Russia, some for France, and he retains a connection with them, too. Rita jokes that Elia’s thumbs are superstrength, thanks to all the texting. “He’s 16,” notes Rita, “and the separation sometimes takes a toll, but the environment at Christian Brothers [encourages] people to be friends with each other. This was the first thing we considered, the brotherhood.”

Elia arrived with a stellar transcript and CBHS has customized a course schedule to fit his advanced learning level, with AP history and a senior-level pre-calculus class among his academic workload. His favorite subject: science. “I love biology,” he notes. “It’s one of my favorite topics, after sports. I never knew the body was so complex. I don’t get bored when I study it.”

Elia, fluent in French and English in addition to Arabic, describes his school in Lebanon as heavy on testing, but light on homework, and has found the inverse to be true at CBHS. “When I come home,” he says, “I have a lot to study, but it’s easier.”

Reflecting on his first few days in the halls of CBHS, Elia says, “Everybody was nice to me.” He actually found himself lost in one of the hallways, but made a quick friend by simply asking directions to his class. “My school [in Lebanon] starts from babies, so there are more high school students here.” Elia has fielded his share of questions about his journey — where did you come from? why did you leave? — since his arrival, but has relished educating his peers about his native country. “We didn’t have electricity 24 hours a day,” he says, “but it’s a normal life.”

Elia knew very little about Memphis before he arrived in the Mid-South. He had heard of Elvis Presley. “I also knew that Memphis had amazing barbecue,” he says with a smile. A big NBA fan, Elia has adopted the Grizzlies with a passion, attending his first game at FedExForum on November 26th (a loss to the Atlanta Hawks). He also likes the Los Angeles Lakers, but his favorite player, Michael Jordan, played his last game two years before Elia was born. He’s loved merely the proximity to the world’s greatest basketball league: “I don’t have to watch games at 5:00 in the morning,” he notes with a smile.

Elia enjoys playing classical guitar, though he gravitates to hip-hop on his playlist (favorites: Biggie Smalls, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake). He also happens to be an award-winning robot engineer, having placed third in Lebanon’s World Robot Olympiad in 2018. “We had to build a robot (out of Legos) in a certain amount of time,” explains Elia. “Then it had to do certain tasks with a box. The faster the time, the better.” When asked about a tip for building the perfect robot, Elia replies with a quip: “Memorize the manual.”

A transition of such magnitude takes time, and Elia continues to adapt to American and Memphis lifestyles. “You have to start a new life,” he says. “You leave your old friends behind, everything. So far, I like it.” Elia missed tryouts for the 2021-22 Purple Wave basketball team, but intends to try out for the soccer team in the spring. It will be a natural next step for a young man new to life at Christian Brothers, a student ready and able to embrace its culture. How better to show Elia Kiameh’s new colors than by actually wearing purple and gold?