Dedication to Kidus Mengesha

This edition of InLight is dedicated to Kidus Mengesha

In loving memory of Kidus, InLight has collaborated with the Potomac Pulse in order to collect writing from his fellow friends and community members who offered memories and reflections. Thank you to all the contributors who shared their words, we are deeply grateful.

Mrs. Parker

I'll never forget Kidus's passion for social justice issues and advocating for others. This school year, I felt like he was really finding his voice and unpacking how his identity as a Black male impacted his experiences at Potomac and in the world. Kidus attended the Diversity in the DMV conference this year, and he was full of ideas and suggestions for how Potomac could be a more inclusive environment. His spoken word, entitled " The Complacent Pretend We're All The Same," was such a powerful message to the members of our community -- and really, the world. I'm so thankful for the moments I had with Kidus. His legacy of fighting injustice will live on in InLight as well as in other diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Potomac as we continue to lift up marginalized voices and work to make Potomac a more inclusive and equitable community.

Mr. Wicker

(excerpt from his eulogy)

He was ready to wrestle with the world’s insufficiencies and contradictions, and he wanted to begin to solve our deepest problems. He wasn’t as interested in the other stuff. Kidus was an IDEA man, and he had big ideas, RADICAL ones. He thought that we should work tirelessly to extinguish racism, that misogyny is an insidious foe to our growth and development, that we should love ourselves and each other without condition, without fear, without excuse. Revolutionary ideas, certainly.

Yes, he was an IDEA man. The details he’d leave to the rest of us. He wasn’t concerned with hindrances to the truth; he wasn’t interested in schedules and optics. He was not concerned with anything that got in the way of doing the right thing. Every day he saw what the world could be, how great it could be. He saw that we are meant to reach for all the goodness there is to grab, and that we will reach the pinnacle of our existence when we learn to share that goodness with each other. When we can share without condition, without fear, without excuse.

And so, the student taught the teacher.

To you Kidus: Truth and Love forever.

Ms. Petro

(excerpt from her eulogy)

Kidus was passionate about everything he was involved in. His friends commented that it was the passion that he exhibited during football practices and games that stood out in their minds. Even though he was an inexperienced player, his hard work, determination and constant desire to learn the sport from his coaches and teammates earned him a spot in the starting line up. He was happy to be there, on the field, playing a sport he loved, and wanted his teammates to work together. He pushed them to be better athletes and better people.

He was also passionate about fighting for the injustices that he saw in his everyday life and in the world. His participation in a summer program at Georgetown spurred that love of justice, but he lived that message everyday in the classroom by voicing his opinion, even if it offered a perspective that differed from his peers. He was overjoyed to be taking the elective Why are Poor Countries Poor? He ecstatically praised the class in advisory, because he knew this was what he wanted to pursue in life - bringing justice to the marginalized. As a fellow advisee commented, Kidus was simply driven to make this world happier, more loving, and more forgiving for each and every person he knew.

The following dedications are courtesy of the Potomac Pulse:

Erika Pietrzak

Kidus embodied everything that I want to be and inspires my actions every day now. He loved to laugh and his smile was so contagious. He always loved to smile and say “hi,” even if he was rushing to football practice because he was late. Whether it was the weirdest joke ever or a very gross video he showed me, we shared countless laughs with one another.

Kidus, as I am sure all of you know, was very, very opinionated. He let everyone know he was thinking, but was always so kind, welcoming, friendly, and open-minded when talking to his peers. He never backed down from a challenge and he always fought for what he believed in, even during hard times. He always cared more about making the world a better place for everyone than he did about what people thought of him. He taught me to keep fighting and never allow someone to silence me. He was one of the most dedicated people I have ever met and managed to do anything he set his mind to. I truly believe that if all of us had a little more of Kidus in us, our community would be so much stronger, closer, and would be able to have so many more important conversations. I will never, ever forget what Kidus represented, and still represents to me.

Obinna Chuke

A month since I last talked to Kidus, it has become easier to reflect on what he meant to me. There are times when I hear a new song, receive a sport or news update, or see something happen in the world around us and wish I could turn to Kidus and have a conversation with him about it. In the past month or so I have realized that sometimes it is hard to completely recognize what someone means to you until they are gone. I always admired Kidus’s optimism; he rarely believed that any goal was out of reach or that any challenge was too difficult. His positivity also served as a light in times of darkness or confusion for myself and he has inspired me to be a source of positivity for others.

Most notably, Kidus pursued what he was passionate about and interested in, no matter the outside judgment he received. I believe this is the most valuable lesson I learned from Kidus and one that all of us can learn from him. I will always hold a piece of Kidus restless spirit with me and use it as motivation to put my all into everything I do. Although Kidus is not here with me physically, I will strive to impact others in the same way he impacted me.

Rest Easy Kidus, we miss you.

Dr. Durham

(excerpt from her eulogy)

Kidus, first and foremost, had a smile that literally lit up the room and I know all of you know exactly what I mean, particularly those that got to experience it every single day. He shined with a light from within and was so open to shining on others. As one student shared with me today, “I just felt like a better person when I was around Kidus.” And you know what, I felt like a better teacher around Kidus. He talked with me, shared his excitement over last year’s summer application to Georgetown, his love of green tea, how important his parents; Menghesha and Rebecca are to him; how his faith in God runs to the core, how he wanted to be a change-maker in the world with his work and his words and his beautiful mind. And what a beautiful mind…

Sean Lasner

Ever since I joined Potomac in the ninth grade, I have viewed Kidus as one of my close friends. I remember the daily conversations we would have at lunch time debating whether the Steelers were better than the Ravens or comparing our experiences across campus on a day to day basis. Kidus was an outlet for me to reach out to when I would feel down; he would always find a way to make me feel better as a person. Writing this paragraph has made me reminisce about the great times we have had over the past three years, and it saddens me to see such a valued friend in my heart go so soon.

Anonymous

An anonymous member of the Potomac community wished to share a poem that they wrote.

A Question Unanswered

Your voice was so loud

About the things you cared about

Inequity, discrimination, justice….

Calling out to those who’d listen

To talk about your plans

For real world change

Your voice was so loud

In calling for action

In calling for peace

In calling out in love

To those you cared for the most

So why didn’t I hear you?

When you needed to be heard the most

When your fear and desperation

Were more than you knew how to handle

All on your own

Why didn’t I hear you

Or see you

Or sense you

Or smell the heartache

You carried on your shoulders?

I wonder….

If I had leaned in a little closer

Sat quietly with you while you gathered your words

Like birds flapping in your throat pushing their way out

Asked the one right question….

Would you have told me?

Would you have uttered a breathless

“I can’t do this anymore”

Would you have found your voice

And given it to me to help you speak?

Click here to listen to a song by Kaitlyn Maher ‘21 in tribute to Kidus, as well as Kevin Coleman, both juniors who we lost too soon.

Lastly, from Ms. Petro

(an excerpt from her eulogy)

Although we bury our friend, student, son and family member , I would encourage you to not let his story end here. I challenge you to consider how you can let Kidus’s passion live on in your life. Can you be that teammate who encourages the other players to work together and hold each other accountable? Can you be the person who works to fight injustice on even the smallest level in the classroom or workplace? Can you be a genuine friend who reaches out and brightens someone’s day with just a smile? Although Kidus may not be with us anymore, he has changed us for the better, and that will be his legacy. Don’t let his conversation end. Keep talking.