Le Moyne Ignite Fellow Recipient Mialisoa Randria ’28 Seizes the Opportunity to Learn and Grow During an Internship in South Africa
This summer Mialisoa Randria ’28 traveled more than 8,000 miles from the Heights, to Cape Town, South Africa, where she spent five weeks working for the nonprofit organization Africa Unite (AU) through Le Moyne’s Ignite Fellowship Program. Randria’s experience reflects the College’s belief that an education goes beyond the four walls of the classroom – or even the boundaries of a college campus. She came away from the experience with a renewed excitement about her future and a clearer understanding of how she hopes to use her energy – and her education – to shape the world.
[My internship] reaffirmed my passion for the work that organizations like Africa Unite do to promote unity and progress. It’s important for me to be passionate about what I do because passion is what carries us through when challenges arise, which they inevitably will.”
Born in Madagascar and raised primarily on the western slope of Colorado, Randria was drawn to work with AU because of its commitment to “uniting voices, empowering change.” The organization was founded in 2001 largely to advance peace by bringing together seemingly disparate groups of people. Today it designs programs to support youth, strengthen communities and bolster social cohesion across South Africa. Randria aided in those efforts, accompanying her supervisor to meetings around South Africa on topics such as children’s rights; attending events like the Africa Day Festival, which was designed to help promote collaboration and understanding among Africa’s 54 nations; and creating a newsletter showcasing Africa Unite’s initiatives, which include the observance of Africa Day to honor the founding of the African Union.
The encounters Randria had while she was abroad uplifted her and reaffirmed her desire to work in international development. Global cooperation and assistance have been important to her since she was a member of her high school’s championship-winning speech and debate team, and informed her decision to study political science and global affairs at Le Moyne. Since arriving on the Heights, she has learned about social cohesion and justice in classes such as Public Policy and Power and Justice and about leadership and community building through her participation in organizations such as the Student Government Association, Le Moyne Student Programming Board and Dolphins for Humanity. All of those experiences, in addition to her time in South Africa, have spurred her desire to work with and advocate on behalf of underrepresented groups.
What stood out to me while I was in Cape Town is how important human-to-human connection is to understanding one another. I witnessed that even in places like an Uber, where the driver really made the effort to get to know me. I learned that kind of understanding is critical to being able to address our biggest challenges, and that is a lesson I will carry with me.”
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Turn Your Passion Into Purpose
At Le Moyne, hands-on experiences help you discover not only what you want to do, but why it matters to you. Through internships and programs like the Ignite Fellowship, you can explore their interests, gain real-world experience and begin turning your passions into a meaningful career.
