Noah Adou Gbougbo: Tenacity, effort, and will

One of the things that has surprised University of Louisville freshman Noah Adou Gbougbo most about college is how unstructured his time is now. With the rigorous daily schedule of high school in the past, he now has the freedom to determine how to divide his time in college between homework, joining clubs, networking, and socializing. It has taken some getting used to, but he’s up for the challenge. Noah has even started photographing events from time to time, which he says is a great way to meet people.

Noah is studying journalism and filmmaking and intends to pursue a career in sports broadcasting, where he wants to use his voice to tell stories that make people think. A diligent student and avid reader, Noah earned numerous awards at Parkway South High School and served in leadership roles in NAACP Youth Council and Top Teens of America-St. Louis Chapter. In the few short months he’s been in Louisville, he’s already feeling at home on his college campus. He says, “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.” He’s already made a few professional connections with local filmmakers as well as new friendships with peers from all over the world, including countries near the Ivory Coast, his father’s native home. He enjoys learning from them and discovering more about what he wants to do, and who he wants to be, in life.

Throughout childhood, Noah’s parents always stressed the importance of education to Noah and his two siblings. Noah says, “Since kindergarten, I was known as a curious learner and excelled in all subjects except math. By the time I reached third grade, math concepts became increasingly challenging. My mother and I figured I was just “bad at math.” It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school when I was tested for learning disabilities, and it was discovered that I had a learning disability called dyscalculia…Although it takes me longer to solve math problems, I have the tenacity to stay the course. I challenge myself daily, believing that success is because of consistent effort and a will to keep going.”

Noah was awarded a Designated Scholar Grant (DSG) created by a donor who found her own liberal arts education to be remarkably valuable and wanted to use her Independent Retirement Account (IRA) distribution to create an opportunity for others to expand their learning. The DSG provides $10,000 per academic year for up to five years.