I grew up in Ouelessebougou, Mali, where I lived in a mud house with my parents and 11 siblings. I spent my days watching the children at the local schoolhouse through the window. Because of the extreme poverty we were living in, my parents were unable to send me or my siblings to school. One day while I was watching the other students, the principal was kind enough to invite me into the classroom, igniting my lifelong love of education.

I continued to go to school with the other students until the teacher asked me to leave for not paying the student fee. I went to see my grandmother afterwards, and she asked how I was doing. I told her about what had happened, and she could see that I was very passionate about my education. She sold goats on Friday so that I could pay the school fee and attend school the following Monday, making me the first of my 11 siblings to pursue an education.

After completing junior high school, I moved in with my uncle in Faladie Sokoro to attend high school in Bamako, the capital of Mali, which is 70 miles from my home village of Ouelessebougou. I attended the Lycee Ibrahima Ly, where I studied languages and French literature. After completing high school, I got a scholarship to the University of Bamako for four years. Since I had no alternate mode of transportation while living with my uncle, I walked an hour and a half each day to get to my classes. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the university, from the Faculty of Language, Letters, Arts, and Human Sciences in English (FLASH).

During my senior year I had completed an internship with an organization called the Ouelessebougou Alliance. One of the men I was working with noticed that I came from a really poor family, and he asked me if I wanted to come to Utah to spend some time with his family and the Alliance staff. He told me that he wanted to help me and give me some money to attend school. Michael Colemere, Michael Yei, and Jill Miller encouraged me to look for schools in Utah. After that, Michael and JoAnne Colemere in Utah made the generous decision to fund my entire bachelor's degree. Michael Yei and Jill Miller paid my living expenses, and Addie Fuhriman paid my last semester rent at UVU in 2016. I am so grateful for all of my sponsors because they took a chance on me. With their help, my educational experience was completely transformed.

Initially, it was Utah Valley University’s international student programs that caught my interest. I chose to pursue a degree in political science with an international relations emphasis and a minor in peace and justice studies. During my time at UVU, so many professors took the time to help me. I especially enjoyed my interactions with Geoffrey Cockerham, John MacFarlane, Lynn England, and Michael Minch.

Not only were the professors invested in my education, they granted me opportunities that I would not have gotten otherwise. I had many classes where I learned about the United Nations, and I attended two Model U.N. competitions in San Francisco and a meeting of the General Assembly of the U.N. in New York City. These experiences laid the foundation for me to be successful throughout my career.

My experience at UVU opened the door for me to be accepted to Brandeis University, SIT, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, and the University of Notre Dame. I attended the Keough School of Global Affairs at Notre Dame. I was also fortunate enough to be the first recipient of the Hesburgh Global Fellowship, a program that provides funding for Notre Dame global affairs graduates who pursue work focused on peace, justice, development, and equality.

With this fellowship, I worked for the Ouelessebougou Alliance as the program coordinator, an organization based in Utah that improves the quality of life in Mali, West Africa, particularly in the Ouelessebougou region through sustainable health and education programs. I want to give hope to disadvantaged and marginalized people in the same way some incredible people from Utah gave hope and opportunity to me while I was living in extreme poverty. I want to pay forward all the good that I have received in life.

Utah Valley University played a key role in the development of my education and kick-started my career in global affairs. Gaining an education changed the trajectory of my life. I went from living in an impoverished environment to going back to my country as an educated individual, ready to help those who are in the same circumstances that I grew up in.

If I could give any piece of advice to other students, I would tell them not to mess around when they get to UVU. Just because you come from a disadvantaged family does not mean that you are disadvantaged. A good education is the best way to break the poverty cycle. Don’t just sit in class; go and talk to your professors. Join organizations and become involved. Take your education seriously. Finally, never give up on fulfilling your dream.