M̧okta ij kam̧m̧oolol Anij bwe kom̧ maron̄ riiti aō ba. In kwaļok jidik kōn aō bwebwenato. Iaar iļok n̄an Majuro im Ebeye ke ekar juon mijenede n̄an Kabun̄ eo an Jisōs Kraist im Armej ro Rekwojarjar ilo Raan Kein Āliktata. Ke ekar mijenede, ewōr aō ikdeelel n̄an ri kaki. Ekar ro̧o̧l n̄an jikuuļ im bōk laijen n̄an katakin Math im In̄lijj (K-8). Ālkin iaar ro̧o̧l n̄an Majel, iaar jerbal ium̧win juon iiō lo Majuro Co-operative School. Ikar maron̄ in jam̧bo n̄an Arno im Ailinglaplap ilo tōreen. Em̧ōj aō jerbal 8 iiō ilo juon middle school ilo Silver Spring, Maryland. Ilo tōreen jerbal, iaar wōnm̧aanļo̧k n̄an jipadek juon Master’s Degree ilo Education. Im kiiō ej ij katak Multilingual Education ilo Būrookraam̧ in PhD. Barāinwōt ļeo motta kōmiro kar marreik ilo Arkansas im em̧akūt n̄an Iowa City bwe elōn̄ļo̧k ri M̧ajeļ ie. Jet iien ilo jemar ko, iaar jam̧bo n̄an Springdale n̄an katak Kajin M̧ajeļ im jipan̄ ilo jabdewōt wāween. Ekar kobaik bwebwenato in mour im bwebwenato ko rekōjak n̄an kōm̧m̧ane projet in, Aejemjem. Im barāinwōt eaar jeje ippān ri jikkuļ ro n̄an kōļapļo̧k men ko n̄an riit ilo Kajin M̧ajeļ. Im kiiō ej juon rijeje n̄an Chikin Meļeļe. Ij kate jon̄an wōt aō maron̄ n̄an jeje kōn wāween jipeeļ ilo MED bwe kwōmaron riiti aō ba. Jouj im jelok bwōd ko am bwe ejab pidodo. Im jet iien epok aō ba.
I learned Marshallese while I was living in Majuro and Ebeye, and I was lucky enough to also visit Arno and Ailinglaplap. I have worked in education for many years, K-12, math and literacy, and now educational research. I develop language learning resources, facilitate writing workshops, and source publications written in Marshallese. I also write for Chikin Melele, a bilingual Marshallese newspaper.
Kōjeļāik: aejemjem = perusuasive or powerful in speaking (kajin etto), ikdeelel = desire, aspiration, jam̧bo = get away/travel (kajin Japan), jibadek = try to reach