Alphonse Mboumba

Alphonse Mboumba (aka Fonzie) has quite an amazing story. Fleeing war-torn Africa, he and his French-speaking family made their way to America. Before coming, a friend taught him a few English phrases such as “Hi!” “How are you?” and “Would you like something to drink?” If anyone ever responded to the last question, he was told to say, “I don’t speak English.” Fonzie has a particular affinity for soccer, pepperoni pizza and Disneyland. His love of soccer began as a young boy in Africa when he received a soccer ball for Christmas. He immediately became the most popular boy at school. Or, as Fonzie says, “I was that guy, you know, that guy that everybody wants to hang around with.” However, his popularity was short-lived when another kid promptly popped the ball. Pepperoni pizza was his first American meal. Upon receiving his first paycheck, he quickly spent $50 on pepperoni pizzas (eating them all, by the way). And Disneyland? Well, that speaks for itself.