Priscille and her brother at a reception for the completion of her Missionary Trip.

I am where I am today as a result of my parent’s actions. My family and I were born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We lived a wonderful, and comfortable life until civil unrest occurred between my country and Rwanda. My parents gave up everything to come to the United States so that we could have a better life. The strong foundations in integrity and morals that my parents set for my siblings and I is what steered my path to where I am and the decisions I have made.

After graduating from high school, I did not want to rush into college. Although there is a lot we learn from school, our professors, and fellow classmates, I wanted to learn from the best teacher, life itself. I signed up for a missionary trip for one year in Buffalo, New York (coldest city in America). Living in Buffalo taught me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I was away from my family, I knew no one in the city, and lived with a group of people that I have never met (whom later became like my family). However, I learned to adapt and be flexible. I developed communication skills and learned how to deal with people from different categories of life.

Priscille’s Missionary Team

When the year was up, I returned home and enrolled at a Montgomery College where I graduated with my Associates degree. I had originally planned to go to the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), but my parents encouraged me to go to UMCP at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG).

USG has been a family affair. My dad graduated from UMCP’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program at USG in 2014 and my mom is anticipating graduation from UMBC’s Social Work program at USG in 2019. Hearing about my parent’s great experience at USG and all of the benefits and resources they had received, I decided to enroll in UMCP’s Communication program at USG.

Priscille and her two roommates

There are many reasons why I love USG. The first reason is the additional scholarship opportunities, which has allowed me to achieve my goal of graduating debt free! Plus, I love the small class sizes because I get the chance to know my professors and classmates. I feel confident in my decision to take classes at USG and I know that this learning environment will propel me to thrive and excel. After I graduate in 2020 I want to travel and gain more experience in marketing. My future career goal is to own my business.