CLÉMENTINE IGILIBAMBE
fled war-ravaged Rwanda when she was eight
years old. She lived in refugee camps in Zaire and then Kenya. She
speaks six languages. Yet enrolling at a U.S. college still intimidated
her.
Thankfully, she was enrolling at the University of
Dayton, where a robust Center for International Programs helped to ease
her fears. “Everyone here is so welcoming. Tutors helped with language
and classes. The International Student Club helped me adjust but also
let me teach U.S. students about being a student abroad.”
While
pursuing a human rights and international studies degree, Igilibambe
brought a piece of her upbringing to southwest Ohio when she founded a
UD Afrika Club. The club allowed her to share her heritage — from
native cuisine to beloved African dance — with students on campus. And
with Igilibambe’s involvement in Student Leadership Council, World
Youth Alliance and U.N. Agents of Change, she represents the student of
tomorrow: ambitious, worldly and committed to transforming the world.
