From Sleeping on Cement Floors to Walking Across the Dartmouth Stage - the story of Teh Triumph!
- Open Dreams
- Jun 28
- 2 min read
By Hans Kullberg | Open Dreams co-founder
Even though Father's Day was last Sunday, I still felt overjoyed with pride watching Open Dream’s very own Triumph Kia Teh walk across the stage at Dartmouth College's recent graduation ceremony. While he’s not my literal son, I still felt like a proud father knowing how far he has come along his journey and the obstacles he overcame to get there.
From the time he arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire, Triumph has approached every interaction and every challenge with genuine kindheartedness and intention. That was on full display on that magnificent day as he seemed to know every person on campus and greeted them with his huge megawatt smile and strong embrace.
Walking around campus with him and his brother, Teh Emmanuel who I had just met that day, I got to know his story and just a few of the lives he touched and positively impacted not only in the classroom but also at the cafeteria, the gymnasium, the library, the dormitories, and just about every other public place you could come across his charming presence. When Blaise Buma, Cristina Bernardo, James Akaba and I started Open Dreams Educational NGO in 2013, we had no idea where the journey would take us and which lives would be possibly impacted. But what we knew was that there were - and still are - ambitious, inquiring and bright students that deserved opportunities that may have been and possibly out of reach. From sleeping on hard cement floors to toiling away in workshops in Cameroon with little to eat - sometimes going days without food - Triumph has never backed down from a challenge but rather has approached them with unrequited resolve, determination, leadership and grit - with the essential character values of what makes a successful Open Dream Scholar and overall human being. Through the years he has made a positive difference in founding and building Palaver Institute, DeWise Foundation (with Seka Jean Blaise), 3Doors and many other thriving organizations.
The profound impact he's made has resonated on so many others. From the ambitious, wide-eyed boy to the accomplished man that he is today, we are very proud of what Triumph has already accomplished and excited to see where he goes in the future. His dream is just opening...
- Hans Kullberg | Open Dreams co-founder
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