For many students obtaining a 15 on the French Bac seemingly assures them that their university studies will also be equally successful.  Parents, understandably beam with pride as results like these have been a long- term goal.  I have seen this attitude over and over again, while at the same time to the shock of student and their parents, I have also witnessed these students struggle and, in some instances, fail during their university experience.

Students often do not realize that the university experience will not be the same as secondary school or lycée. In reality, it was never meant to be the same.  In addition, many students I meet with are extremely studious yet sometimes lack the soft skills that are also needed to transition effectively into the university particularly if their goal is to study abroad.
With a focus on grades, grades and only grades families often forget to take the time to encourage the development of a variety of additional skills that will be called upon to surpass both minor and major issues in the university in order to succeed.

Recently, when consoling a student who was struggling academically all he could repeat over and over is that he had received a 15 on his Bac. As we sat down to review the first semester, he admitted that since arriving at the university he had failed to ever raise his hand in class and participate in discussions, yet participation was 10-20% of the grade. His response was that he had seldom raised his hand in lycée either. In addition, he was unable to deem the importance of working in study groups and resented group projects feeling that he should only be judged on his individual efforts. He had never participated in one activity outside of class preferring to return straight to his room and study, study, study. From his perspective, extra-curricular activities were a waste of time as they did not provide a grade. He insisted that he was writing down everything the professor said, but I countered with the importance of his doing a note taking workshop as the goal is not to write down everything but to capture the core information. Also, his parents phone calls and emails encouraged him to not do anything but study! Most important, thrown into a diverse community he was unable or unwilling to make new friends as his words consistently echoed Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz as he lamented, “there’s no place like home.” He admitted to having problems arrange his schedule and we talked about supporting him on developing time management skills. Admittedly in a prior world, his parents and teachers arranged all of his time, so he lacked the abilities to manage time effectively.  His response to not being able to manage time was to study all day, every day.  My insights and bits of encouraging advice that had been offered earlier in the semester had been viewed with shock and horror until – he failed his first semester.

After receiving his first semester results, this same student arrived to meet me filled with remorse, embarrassment and confusion. I started by reminding him that many students struggle the first semester as it is a major period of academic, social ad cultural adjustment. He reminded me, as I knew he would, that he received a 15 on his Bac. I reminded him, as I had done before, that transitioning from secondary school to the university often required the acquisition of new and additional skills. We took the time to discuss the importance of his developing collaborative skills and being able to work as a team member and how this would help him with the group projects. We addressed the importance of participating in class and how this would help the professor and his fellow classmates get to know him better and also, he would be actively engaged in the course and not just a note taker. We reviewed the importance of participating in the numerous extra-curricular activities available as depending on what he selects he could develop leadership skills, career development, mentoring experience, a greater focus on life balance including health and wellness, along with an array of additional skills for his resume.  I challenged him to take baby steps out of his personal world and get to know the other students regardless of their nationality, country of origin, etc. We discussed how the university experience was preparation for the professional world and that world will most likely be international so on campus he had the incredible opportunity to experience professors, fellow students, food, music, films and ideology from around the world. However, foolish it may have sounded I reminded him that he wasn’t just there to chase grades. I told him it is the actual knowledge and experience that would last a lifetime and carry him effectively into his career.
In response to some of my feedback he looked at me with shock, but I know he heard me. It has been three weeks since we talked but I see a small difference. He is now taking those first steps into a greater awareness, and I am certain he will succeed.

I encourage parents and teachers to re-direct or at minimum balance a student’s perspective of what it will take to succeed in college. Encourage their curiosity and a desire to experience higher education in and out of the classroom as a full experience. Most important, let them know there may be struggles but as parents they will be there to support them, and that the campus should have an array of resources to support him as well.

Team work, collaboration, communication abilities, time management and leadership skills are just some of the many soft skills that students need to develop to succeed in the global workforce.  It is here, in my experience, that student who arrive at the university with a 10 on their Bac result or a 15 become equals. As Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”  Let’s teach. model and encourage students to rely not solely on who they were in the lycée/secondary school or the grades they earn but to learn, unlearn and relearn new skills and competencies inside and outside of the classroom and possibly redefine success.

In defense of helicopter parents, I can only say that many times in my education experience I was left looking to the sky in the hopes that a helicopter parent would soon arrive. What I didn’t know then but understand now is that in lieu of a helicopter parent what I most needed was a strong student advocate and lessons in self advocacy.

The pattern I saw was that Group A students from middle class to upper class homes and with college-educated parents often had families who were actively involved in their university experience. These parents were able to indicate to their children how to best communicate with the professor, how to access campus resources, share valuable course selection information and more. At the same time, these parents seemed to consistently keep their helicopter in possible flight mode. In contrast, Group B encompassing first generation students, some international students, students from lower income families and students of color were more likely to be left to address their issues on their own. Day to day challenges that occur on campus, subtle slights and other factors were often left unresolved. From an institutional point of view, the expectation is that at the university level all students should be able to speak up for themselves. The question is what happens when Group B students don’t feel empowered enough to speak up, or they come from a cultural background that has taught them not to question adults in positions of power or they just don't know what to say? In my experience, this group rarely had parents ready and waiting to power up that helicopter.
Ideally, we’d like to believe that all students are treated equal, but reality has taught me something different. Faculty and campus administrators are first and foremost human and therefore arrive with a wide range or a limited range of experience working with diverse communities. Their levels of intercultural experience, degree of pre-conceived notions, stereotypes and bias can also vary.  

Some teachers and administrators know who they can slight or speak to with less respect. They look at those perceived as vulnerable, those who easily fit into a specific stereotype, those on scholarships who are less likely to feel they can complain and then proceed. It doesn’t matter if institutions implement complaint programs or other institutional norms to support student learners if these offices are not directly managed by empathetic, objective, trustworthy and humane individuals to oversee the process. The immediate reaction for many students when left without an advocate is to go inwards. Embarrassed, shocked and disoriented the next step may be to socially withdraw or physically leave the institution.

To mentor and advocate for students is often to be viewed as a faculty or administrative enemy. In reality, it is quite the opposite. Advocating for students is the first needed step to teach them how to objectively address an issue and to empower them as future leaders and problem solvers. Despite what may have occurred between two students, or a student and administrator there is always the chance that students made an error in their actions or response. This can never be addressed until open discussion is implemented.

Having taught in the university and K-12 level prior to moving into administration, in reality I am very empathetic to the faculty/administration point of view. At the same time, years later when returning to campus as an instructor or administrator, I approached from the memory and perspective of a first-generation student of color clearly remembering some of the stereotypes and not so subtle bias that I once confronted.  I also remembered in those moments wanting to look to the horizon and listen hopefully for the roar of an incoming chopper. But there was no helicopter parent for me, and I represented myself through thick and thin. It was never that my parents did not want to help, but more often they had no awareness of what to do and how to best do it. However, to say I did not envy those students with active helicopter parents would not be to speak the truth.
​
Years later, I have come to understand that advocacy is not merely about defending students, nor is it about “having students speak to you because you believe all of their ‘BS’,” as someone once told me. Advocacy is about letting students know that they matter. It involves empowering students to address an issue in the best manner that will ultimately lead toward a satisfying resolution. I have become an unapologetic and deeply committed student advocate as I now realize that advocacy is about empathy. It is about helping students learn that silence and merely walking away is not always a sustainable solution. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” In addition, we must remember if the objective is to get students to speak for themselves then as education leaders we must also hear what they have to say and implement change when necessary. When students witness a genuine response to their issues and become empowered, they may no longer want or look for helicopters to land on campus.

I have an early memory of being five years old and sitting in the waiting room of Children’s Hospital.  As always we were dressed and ready for this visit wearing Buster Brown shoes, with both my sister and I in beautiful smocked dresses. As we waited, we munched on our lunch consisting of sandwiches, fruit and biscuits. Across from us sat another family and it was clear that they were hungry.  In addition, they were filthy with necks almost green, dirty clothes, no shoes and blond hair in need of a good shampooing.  Their eyes followed every bite of our sandwich.  When we swallowed our juice they swallowed.   Finally, we reached over and said, “Want some?” and offered them food. They leaned forward slowly and unconsciously then… their mother slapped one of them very hard and reminded them that they were not hungry.  When we walked away my mother said in a soft voice, “So hungry, they would rather starve then accept food from you.” 

Recently, when the US Congress overrode President Barack Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism (JASTA) this was exemplary of the Obama Effect.  This effect is exemplified when a nation or a people are so full of hostility that they would rather self-destruct then allow themselves to be led, work in collaboration or respect the voice, insight and wisdom of an “other” notably a person of color.  With little discussion and no debate, a decision was made with an attitude of if he wrote it I reject it, similar to if she teaches me I won’t learn, or if they cooked it I won’t eat it. The Obama Effect defines that moment when despite the education, skills, team spirit, and commitment the “other”, he or she is not guaranteed or welcome to sit at the table and offer guidance or direction.

If this Obama Effect was merely a reflection of contemporary politics it would be one issue, however my experience is that it can easily play into various aspects of our lives including higher education.  What happens when students, staff or faculty have their first encounter with “the other.”  Coming from a history or world view where “others” were voiceless and not installed in positions of power or authority what is the result of these communities coming together.  In many instances, when confronted with the “other” the response can be negative or unresponsive.  It is not uncommon to witness administrators who can’t accept proposals, new programs and implementation, diverse course instruction, leadership, etc. from the “other.” In addition, the “other” is an easy target to undermine or dehumanize. Often shrouded in stereotypes, with minimal support and expected to be twice as bright and work three times as hard in order to survive- their very existence is often fragile.  

Higher education is not always the place where faculty and staff come to learn. With higher degrees in hand, many arrive for the sole purpose of teaching.  The question we must ask is what happens when the Obama Effect is taught to students.  When every effort of the “other” is met with a rolling of the eyes, deep negative sighs, combative resistance or outright refusal to cooperate with them, then the curriculum begins to provide alternative lessons. When this attitude is played out in front of students or yo staff, the questions becomes what are we really here to teach?

It’s not enough for institutions to hire those “others.”  They must also support them and learn to filter the responses of students and colleagues because somewhere in their response can be a reaction to the “otherness” of the instructor or staff person.  When I work with students, I encourage them to seek knowledge and if that knowledge is being delivered by a man or woman with blue skin along with pink stripes, one ear and one leg, they should still be focused on the knowledge to be obtained.  In the 21st century, institutions should have the competencies in place to discern the authentic intent and capabilities of their colleagues.

In many instances, we stand back and allow the “other” to be continuously disparaged, victimized and disrespected with the belief that they can survive.  Yet another important lesson to teach is the “phoenix” that rose from the ashes was only a reality in Greek mythology. In real time, those “others’ may not recover as easily. Beyonce sang, Pretty Hurts, but so does bias, implicit or otherwise.  Perhaps we should teach students before it is too late that their present and future may often be directly inter-related to the survival of those “others.”

International Literacy Day is crucial to Chez Alpha Books because it is an opportunity to highlight the importance of reading with and to children, and to also show how the joy of reading books can be easily integrated into art, music, theatre activities, etc.
“At this time in my life, the first thing I want to see when I visit a school is their library or at minimum their commitment to encouraging children to read and integration of daily reading activities into their curriculum.  Furthermore, I want to see institutions embrace diversity in a real sense introducing children to the world around them both locally and globally, while providing them with a solid foundation for successful learning” says Chez Alpha Books, Director Angela Franklin.

​Each year Chez Alpha Books organizes reading programs along with sharing an array of literacy information via social media. In the last two years, Chez Alpha Books has developed reading activities at schools in Dakar, donated English books to a local prison and coordinated online literacy competitions.
For International Literacy Day 2016, Chez Alpha Books highlighted five books that emphasized the importance of self-acceptance, positive self-images for children of African descent, along with lessons related to the importance of community, tradition, ethical values and culture. The five books selected include:
·       Bama’s Twins by Coumba Toure
·       Justice pon di Road by Aliona L. Gibson
·       Keish Cane and Her Very Sweet Tooth by Ashley Foxx
·       Broken Glass by Greg Burnham
·       One Plastic Bag - Isatou Ceesay and The Recycling Women of The Gambia by Miranda Paul
In addition, to sharing these five books to the Chez Alpha Books community, the Story Hour and Activity program allowed children and parents to experience the books I Love my Hair and Leopold Senghor-A Man of Destiny first hand.  Published in 1998, I LOVE MY HAIR by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and illustrated by E.B. Lewis is a book that still shares a powerful message almost twenty years later as a young girl named Kenyana who has started to dislike her hair, with the help of her mother learns to celebrate her natural hair.  The illustrations by E.B. Lewis successfully describe the story just as effectively as the author's words.  This biography of Leopold Sedar Senghor shares the story of a great poet and philosopher, a wise and democratic statesman, the first president of modern Senegal and a man who represents Senegal’s successful transition to independence.

In a world of technology where children literally live with their mobile phones, PlayStation, and other video games, it is important to organize activities that inspire children to use their imagination, provide visual images that echo their life experiences, and participate collectively in activities that are good for the body, mind and soul. The story I Love my Hair was read by local instructor Waameeka AheVonderae, who conveyed through her voice, emotions and body language her personal love for natural hair.

​After reading I Love my Hair and Leopold Senghor-A Man of Destiny, students got busy creating designs for commemorative postage stamps that would honor famous writers, activists and leaders from Senegal. Many of the writers and leaders selected shared a common appreciation for natural hair. Using fabric, crayon, paint, glue and whatever else was available children easily got lost in the passion of creating.
“When we first started the Story and Activity program there were people who looked at us if this was either an outdated or no longer viable event. I am glad that we were committed to doing this as each month we attract a growing audience. While the students may not always be the same, they share a common enthusiasm for books and reading. As long as they remain committed, so will we,” states Angela Franklin.

Chez Alpha Books is a community resource center providing a range of programs and services including a bookstore with multicultural literature, lending library, along with and academic resource program providing English language training, SAT and TOEFL test prep and a College Club program to assist students who want to study abroad.
For more information, contact: maizie@chezalphabks.com
 

As adults, we often remember our college years based around our achievements. We worked hard, were independent, and had many friends and good relationships with our professors. To hear us tell the story – life was a ball.

In retrospect, our first year at the university and often the years to follow while being a great experience were also a period of challenges, change, stress-filled moment and indecision. The difference between who thrived, survived or failed had much to do with the world of parents, faculty, friends and mentors who provided support and guidance.
Today, it has become quite common to joke about the new generation of college students and view them solely from a standpoint of how they fall short in comparison to generations gone by.  We often forget that current college students and recent graduates are now functioning in a world unlike what their parents knew.  Their parent’s world was not formed around online media, did not deal with a daily onslaught of shootings, overly competitive job market, global acts of terrorism, war in numerous regions of the world, an unpredictable economy, the increasing price of higher education, etc.

While campus life may be idyllic and provide a level of comfort and security, faculty and administrators may witness students suffering with issues of anxiety, depression or a sense of being totally overwhelmed. Faculty are not expected to function as counselors, but if possible, it may be good for them to be able to recognize some of the signs of anxiety or depression to refer students on to the counseling center.  Most important, just because we do not feel the student’s pain does not mean it isn’t real! 

Given a role of power and authority it becomes imperative to support student learners and refrain from trivializing what they may be going through, indiscriminately sharing private information that students shared with us, or utilizing their pain or frustration to mount our own personal campaign against unrelated issues. With the growing number of campuses worldwide embracing globalization and diversity, intercultural communication competency may need to be required in classrooms today. What happens when the flippant comment that Western students can assumedly embrace becomes a point of hurt or shame for an international student.  As once offensive terms become integrated into daily life, it is still important to note that such terms may not be considered the norm or socially acceptable worldwide. As far as racial slurs and profiling, we want to believe that “educated” individuals or someone who has earned their doctorate would be removed from such behavior in the classroom. Life, however, has taught me differently.

As educators, we consciously and unconsciously serve as role models and mentors to our students.  In this instance, the campus becomes a place where education in and out of the classroom supports students through their process of self-development and empowers them to be a support to other students. If we should doubt the meaningful role we play, I am reminded of the conclusion of Maya Angelou’s poem I’VE LEARNED when she says, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
College years may not be a ball for everyone.  When we support students to understand that this moment, circumstance, problem or incident can be addressed with honesty, self-awareness and integrity, they will forever be reminded of how we made them feel. This can then become a self-fulfilling legacy as they learn to play it forward when they see another student who is hurting.
 

We had become resistant to accepting international interns. We had no interest in being saved, and the pattern was often the same. While they arrived from well-respected universities, the majority of them carried a similar attitude that based on their passport, nationality and sometimes color of skin they had everything to teach and little to learn.  While we were no longer seeking international interns,  the CVs still continued to come in and each time we merely inhaled.  Regarding local interns, our internship policy is that when we do accept them, it is solely to fill an upcoming long term opportunity as rotating staff or pouring training into someone for a mere 3-4 month period is not interesting.

Recently, a prospective local intern entered the door asking, “Ou est le blanc?” translated – where is the white person in charge Our reaction was more of a life lesson than a 10 minute response.  We had heard this question before from local interns and realized this is sometimes the same question for international interns.  For this reason, we clearly state that international interns must be able to work respectfully and effectively with a team composed of educated, well trained, innovative African women.  

Our required qualifications and organizational expectations were always clearly defined. We could even say they were both location and culture specific.  International interns needed to have an appreciation of community programming, ability to develop marketing initiatives that were dynamic with a level of culture awareness, able to respect the diverse income ranges of our clients, and be willing to provide high quality customer service to every person who walked in the door without assuming who could and could not afford to pay based on appearances or who was deserving of better service based on nationality.

Technical skills were never major criteria as interns coming from abroad consistently arrived with strong computer and social media skills. It was the “fit” and the “feel” that governed our decisions and equally made us hesitant about accepting international interns no matter how stellar their CV or if they came from Oxford or Harvard!

In November 2015, we swallowed our hesitation and accepted an intern from Italy with a strong background in international business. It was to be a 2-3 month period and after viewing her CV and additional information the team decided she may be a good fit. Frankly, the first week or two we waited.  Based on our experience, it was normally about a two week period before the intern took it upon themselves to begin to rule everyone. There is a clear difference in integrating an organization and offering new perspectives versus deciding that one is fit to take over.  We watched how she interacted with students and parents.  We waited for those dismissive moments when she would begin to regularly share with us to how they do it back home and why the way they do it is so much better, while all the time having chosen to go abroad.

We waited and those moments did not come.  What we got was an energetic, passionate, team member, who shared her insight and ideas while always respecting the foundation of what was already in place. We welcomed a hard worker who took the internship seriously and poured over books that she had never been exposed to,  embraced college opportunities for students in all regions of the world and came to the table to mind map, plan and conceive new programs and ideas that would be welcomed by our community of learners.  She had an open and curious heart that led her to embrace each and every client who walked in the door.

In retrospect, while I was fortunate to have had an exceptional intern, I am equally fortunate to have an exceptional team in place on a day to day basis.  The internship process was so much better because our mission and vision is clear and whoever enters our space, but cannot align to this mission and vision can’t remain long.

As this intern departed last week, we realized we had learned to exhale. We can believe again in what could be possible.  At the same time, while there are already ten CVs in my inbox from international intern,  we will probably only accept one international intern per year.  

While the team is small,  it is important to provide opportunities to the local community as it is their ideas and passion that have to this day driven Chez Alpha Books forward!

She speaks Wolof but it’s not on her CV under languages spoken. It’s one of the first things I observe. For some people this may be irrelevant, but I notice that many of the other international students I work with list every language and dialect they speak - even when it is spoken by a small minority in their country.

My day to day role, working to advise and support international students often requires me to review their CV prior to submission for a professional opportunity or graduate program. Under the section that asks Languages Spoken, many of my Senegalese students who are fluent in Wolof proudly display French and English along with German, Italian, Spanish, etc. yet Wolof is often omitted. In a broader sense these same students are also not including Jola, Sereer or Pulaar, etc. as in addition, to Wolof other languages are spoken in Senegal including Jola, Malinka, Pulaar, Sereer, and Soninke which were all deemed national languages by Article I of the 1971 Senegalese constitution (http://www.languageeducationpolicy.org/lepbyworldregion/africasenegal.html)  Because they are fluent in Wolof, when I ask them why it is omitted, many seem shocked and surprised. They share with me how it never occurred to them to include Wolof or any other language they speak at home on their CV in the Language Spoken section.

I remind my students that each year hundreds of foreign students arrive in Senegal for study abroad programs sponsored by the Council on International Educational Exchange CIEE), University of Minnesota, Mt Holyoke, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, to name a few. Upon their departure months later, the majority proudly display Wolof as a language spoken at an intermediate level or higher. When the study abroad student returns home, is their ability to learn Wolof perceived as a sign of global intelligence or recognized as an intercultural competency? Did they prioritize learning the language as a door that would lead to other opportunities. Or did they enjoy the people and the full experience to the degree where learning the language became integral to their experience abroad.
At the same, I tell myself, since the students I am working with our also studying abroad, perhaps their world view based on their current location does not really encourage or support recognition of this language. Yet, with so many of these learners studying law and economics, while aspiring for a career in diplomacy, I remind them that on the world stage Wolof, along with Swahili, French, English and Persian, etc. can be both a valued global competency and a bridge to other cultures.

It is clear that some of my students view Wolof as a language spoken by so few people it can’t be considered a major world language. Yet, Wolof connects countries from Senegal to The Gambia and Mauritania along with significant populations speaking the language in France, Italy, Spain and the U.S.A. Due to trade and business links, it is a language often recognized in neighboring Francophone countries as well. Perhaps my students learned that education; power and social mobility could only be found via speaking French, English or other “world languages.” This is a lesson that I can relate to because, I remember long ago when my son was ready for preschool the first place we took him was not impressed that he could not speak French. At two years old, he was speaking English and Wolof and the intent was for him to learn French in preschool. The Director pulled me aside one day to remark that he had limited French language skills. I reminded her that he was only two, and had time to learn French. More important, he was already speaking two languages very well. At the mention of Wolof, she shook her head and reminded me that they would not be speaking Wolof in that school. Jamais! (Never!) she said. We left to enroll in another school the same day, and he continued on to grasp basic French by age 3. I am left wondering if my students ever experienced this or worse, did they study in a secondary school like the one where I taught briefly in Dakar that penalized students each time they spoke Wolof by making them where a heavy metal collar? Or again, is it merely the fact that while completing their education outside of Senegal, it is easier to no longer view Wolof as a language integral to their present world.

Then I stop and remind myself that maybe not having Wolof on their CV was just an oversight on their part. But I took a moment to remind one such student of a line from a favorite Stevie Wonder song that says,

If it’s magic
Then with it why aren’t we as careful
As making sure we dress in style
Posing pictures with a smile


Language is special. While some may view it merely as a collection of words, I prefer to view it for the power and significant role it plays in shaping personal, social and cultural identity. In addition, watching my son learn Wolof from his grandmother was also magical!
Speaking with my student also put me on point. I need to live according to the commitment I was asking from them. You see, I have planning for some time to have Wolof – English story hours for children. When I first mentioned this idea, many people laughed and were quick to tell me that no one would come, but I laughed even more because years ago they told me no one would buy books!

As we approached September, the year or two we spent assisting students preparing to study abroad culminated in all of them gaining admission to their desired university,  obtaining a visa and departing safely for a new land. They were over the moon with excitement and happiness.  While we devoted numerous hours meeting with them and providing various college prep activities, in reality the greatest tribute must be to their parents. Our mothers and fathers committed to working side by side with their children over an extended period of time.  As one father said, "As she has worked hard, and gave her maximum to excel, then I must also do the maximum."  The students we worked with reflected a variety of countries including Senegal, Congo, Gambia and Mali, but the common characteristic is that all parents gave the maximum support!

From TOEFL and SAT Prep, through lengthy college search procedures and day to day follow up with documents beings submitted we were often the bearers of good news.  Yet, sometimes we carried news that parents and students did not want to hear. When searching for universities we started by looking worldwide, and then narrowed the list down to specific locations. Most important it was our job to tactfully merge dreams and realities. In most  instances, the university list the student brought to us included numerous big name, Ivy League institutions because this is what they know.  We took this list and also began to highlight those institutions that are a best match academically, culturally, financially and socially for the student and parent. We encouraged learners to get off the beaten path and take a broader look at an array of institutions. Time after time, we discussed with students that there are many quiet gem institutions that may not be in the top 10 ranking, but have excellent academic programs and provide best support and services to international students. Throughout this process their parents were by their sides.

Our role evolved and changed  on a day to day basis. We served as the mediator between a student that is open to various locations and a parent who wants them to remain in one specific city, state or country. We dispelled myths regarding community colleges,  when dealing with students who because of financial or academic reasons needed to begin with a two year program. Financial Management 101 was at the core  of our admissions counselling as we reconciled what was desired with the reality of best option for what was affordable. We pushed the limits of communication as we sent messages regularly via SMS, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Skype.  Communication with parents was also on a regular basis. Along the way we have made some great friends.

University and scholarship applications were organized in detailed tables as our heads were quickly consumed with deadlines. Throughout this process, our parents remained in the picture offering words of encouragement and support. In some instances, we encouraged students and their parents to look at the educational options in Senegal. Our focus has never been to send every student out of the country. If there is a good option for them in Senegal, we support this completely.

However awkward or perhaps unwanted, issues related to The Diaspora , race and class were often discussed. We heard the unspoken fears and concerns from our parents and attempted to address them. When one student shared with us that she had been contacted by the African Student Union of the university she was attending,  she was quick to say she would not join this group. We suggested she respond in an open manner, and attend the first meeting to learn about the group. We were quick to remind her that in many ways this group can serve as a strong support system.  For some students it would  be a first experience to mix with other students from The Diaspora including the Caribbean, African Americans, students from East and South Africa or students of African descent raised in Europe, etc. They were encouraged to take their time in developing friendships and seek a common ground as differences are always so easily apparent.

We helped the students prepare a short list of items to take with them that would allow them to remain centered and connected to family, friends and home. For our males going abroad, we spoke frankly but sadly about the realities of color.  It was important to make it clear that if they should ever have any incident with campus or city police, etc. then this would not be the moment to try to explain that they were from abroad. This would be the time to follow steps 1, 2 and 3 to assure their safety. As the visa appointment grew near, both parents and students became nervous. Discussing the visa interview, their dress, behavior and communication methods were openly discussed. While we did not enter the embassy with them, we were confident with all required documents in hand, a positive attitude and the ability to respond effectively to all questions answered that they would be successful. Indeed, they walked out knowing they had obtained the visa, and we received their enthusiastic calls from the car.

Most important, we openly discussed with the students their returning home. I shared with one student this quote from J . Nozipo Maraire's book Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter.  In this outstanding book, the mother is writing to her daughter who is studying abroad  and tells her. "Foreign cash is not the answers to our problems (in Africa), my friend. Africa needs the hearts and minds of its sons and daughters to nurture it.”

Then with a quick hope and prayer they were gone. Today, it’s 7 AM Friday morning, and I am again following up with students saying. “Remember if you need to talk, your parents are always here for you and so am I.”