By Cade Fowler - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Daniel Machooka came to the U.S. From Machakos, Kenya two years ago hoping to live out the American dream.
"My ultimate goal is to be in the U.S. and help other people and make something out of myself," he said.
A nursing student at Albany State, Machooka earned a 3.3 GPA and was attending school on an athletic scholarship running tack and cross country for the Golden Rams. But when he came back to campus last week, he received some unexpected news.
"Once I came on Wednesday, they told me my scholarship won't be renewed for the following year and they gave me a letter from the athletic department stating it,"
The letter states that he didn't update his address on the school's BANNER system and goes on to state that he asked to contact other colleges per NCAA rules last spring.
But Machooka admits he never thought this would be grounds for revoking his scholarship.
"After I received the letter, I made an appeal. They said I needed to the schools (athletic) director," said Machooka.
A committee met Tuesday to discuss Machooka's scholarship. With no room and board, he has been staying with a friend in a house with no electricity. Right now, life for the distance runner is tough.
"For the past week I've had no where to live, no feed to eat and couldn't find work for means of supporting myself," he said.
According to Machooka, the committee decided that his scholarship will not be re-instated and offered him a plane ticket to Kenya.
He said, "I came to graduate and run and win for Albany State University. If they give me a chance to do it, I'll be successful."
For now it's a broken dream for a young man. But he says his pursuit of the American dream is not a race he plans to give up on.
He says his next step is to appeal to the NCAA to see if the terms of scholarship were violated.
No one from Albany State would talk to us on camera.
We were told officials were holding another meeting on this issue Tuesday night but we did not hear back from them.
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