Being a refugee is part of my identity. I grew up in a camp in Guinea. What I experienced as a young kid – going to bed hungry at night and having to wake up the next day and keep moving – was the harsh reality of life. I was born in Liberia, where we speak English. Education was really big for me. I went to high school but you can’t compare the education and the quality to what we’ve got here in ɫվ.
My manager saw something in me that I didn’t. The idea of doing further education in ɫվ came about when I was working as a security guard. My manager looked at me and said, “Have you thought of going to school?” I told him I didn’t think I could afford missing work or losing hours, because of the responsibility I had to support my family. He told me to go and get all the information and see him with my timetable to work something out. So I went to TAFE and did a Cert IV in Juvenile Justice and a Diploma in Community Services.
Griffith means so much to me. Everything I’m doing now started at Griffith. The day I was accepted to study Human Services and the day I graduated were the two most amazing moments of my life. When I got accepted, I called my dad – who has since died – and told him. He cried. Being the first person to go to university in my family was huge.
Starting university was hard. I thought it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t getting the language, the jargon. I was so focused on getting everything perfect, but I came to realise further down the track that it doesn’t really matter. It’s about what you bring to the table, how you treat people and how you conduct yourself. I felt like giving up, but I sought support from one of my lecturers. She suggested the next week I come to the lecture and then do the reading after. Everything made sense. I finished that semester with flying colours.
I said to myself: “I’m going to make a change.” When I got through my first semester, I started thinking about students from similar backgrounds who are not seeking the help they desperately need. And I found a gap. Griffith University had programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, non-traditional students such as adult learners, and women in engineering, maths and science – but there was nothing specifically tailored for students from refugee backgrounds. These are students who have had schooling disrupted: some didn’t even go to primary school or secondary school. This led to the establishment of one of the first Refugee Student Associations in ɫվ and my employment as a student equity programs coordinator for seven years.
I do whatever I can do to make our society better. I do a lot of work looking at influencing policy – the strategic side of things. I do what I can to ensure organisations are culturally appropriate and meeting the needs of people. I sit on advisory committees, because it starts from being able to impact the system, and the only way you can do that is to be a part of it.
In my work as a lecturer, I’m focused on equipping future professionals with the skills and knowledge to build inclusive, resilient, and empowered communities. I also do a lot of community engagement and development work. It’s not for the money. It’s really for the deep commitment and conviction I have about people, regardless of who you are, what you look like, how you talk, or what you worship. I hope to return to Liberia and Guinea to contribute to the development of the education system and help create meaningful opportunities for all.
When we had our first daughter, that changed everything. The number one decision that I will never regret was when I settled down with my wife. We married in December 2008 and I started studying at TAFE after only a few months. My whole outlook on life changed when we had our first daughter. I became careful about how I would talk to people, how I carried myself, knowing that I was accountable to someone and that my decisions today will somehow affect her tomorrow. I think about that every single day.
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