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Issa Coulibaly

Class of 2014
Associate of Arts, Philosophy
St. Louis Community College

When life is challenging, it helps me learn.

Issa dreams of one day working for an organization like UNICEF in Asia and Africa, helping to make education more universally available. Having spent his childhood in Ivory Coast, he is aware that many people cannot read and write because education is so expensive.

While Issa is very disciplined and motivated to succeed, he has had to overcome many obstacles and stay focused. After immigrating to the United States at the age of fifteen, he had to acclimate to a new culture, language, and school system. Then during his first year of college, he became very ill and had to transfer schools once he recovered. He is again studying hard, pursuing his studies with the help of an interest-free loan and Bravo grant from the Foundation. Additionally, he volunteers in ScholarShop to gain work experience.