I am Grace, a 27 year old Ivorian woman, who received the opportunity to come to America to study International Relations and Public Administration. My plan has always been to go back to my country with something that will bring change. I believe that going out of one’s motherland to discover other lands, people, cultures, and systems is a perfect way of bringing change to one’s motherland. Going out makes us learn and appreciate where we come from. But we also learn how to respect others and learn from their experiences.
Change starts in the mind; the way we perceive change and development. Change is first and foremost personal and a lifestyle. This is what I learned from my experience in the United States. I do not cease to see the need for me to go back and show my people the treasures that we have in our own lands. Cultivate has opened a door for me to learn the tools and the mechanisms that are needed to bring change in my community. Cultivate believes in change and improvement in life, not only in America but also outside America. They are willing to empower and sustain the people, who step out for their community, and this also my goal. Going back to Ivory Coast and engaging in development by using what I have learned and discovered. Being an intern at Cultivate is the beginning of this journey.
-Grace Gobey, Former Intern
