When Fatimata Diabate \u201920 delivered an inspirational speech on resilience during Commencement ceremonies, she represented the hopes and dreams of hundreds of Montclair State students, many of whom are first-generation scholars like Diabate.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy academic preparation was poor,\u201d she said in a voice full of emotion. \u201cI had a lot of catching up to do, but I had a mission to succeed in life. Something powerful inside of me that always kept me moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
That determination is at the heart of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), the program that guided Diabate to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree in Public Health. Captured on video<\/a>, her remarks have been viewed tens of thousands of times on social media<\/a> and were used to close the EOF Summer Academy on August 6.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a powerful speech,\u201d says EOF Associate Director Rahjaun Gordon.\u201cNot only does it express all that Fatimata has been able to accomplish, but it shows our new scholars what they can achieve in their time here.\u201d<\/p>\n EOF provides college access and opportunity to highly motivated students, \u201cmost from low-income communities, who want more, who are motivated or first-gen, and who with the proper support and guidance can ultimately reach their personal and professional goals,\u201d says Assistant Provost for Special Programs Daniel Jean.<\/p>\n The Summer Academy is the \u201cheart and soul\u201d of the program, a five-week institute providing new EOF scholars with academic and social transitional support. This summer, mandatory safety measures due to the coronavirus prevented an on-campus experience. Still, 148 scholars attended, higher than the projected enrollment, for online classes in writing, mentoring, tutoring and advising.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the staff, peer leaders and teachers were able to do was take a storm and really make it a rainbow,\u201d says Genesis Mota, a Social Justice major from Bayonne, New Jersey.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned so much through the virtual online academy. In person or not, we found ways to communicate and teach each other,\u201d Mota says. \u201cI improved my writing skills and learned what spots in my house have more Wi-Fi, how to change my background when I call, how to achieve the impossible, and also that I’m not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a difficult time,\u201d says EOF Counselor Angela White, \u201cbut we want students to be proactive and look back at this time and reflect: \u2018This is what I did to promote myself and educate myself during a pandemic.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n EOF Counselor Tatia Haywood adds, \u201cI tell our scholars, this is your experience. College is going to be what you put into it.\u201d<\/p>\n On July 30, White and Haywood organized the 8th Annual Statewide EOF Empowerment Conference. Held virtually with other colleges and about 400 students, the event included keynotes on the power of voting, advancing college affordability and accessibility, grit and resilience. In a real-time discussion, the scholars were asked to share in a single word what EOF means to them. \u201cFamily, opportunity, support, future, growth,\u201d they typed onto their screens.<\/p>\n The online interaction was a preview of the fall semester. \u201cWe\u2019ve been transparent, telling students it may not look at what you\u2019ve seen on TV, but a virtual college experience can still be \u00a0impactful,\u201d Haywood says.<\/p>\n The challenges of the coronavirus crisis, including its health and economic impact on the EOF community, has also brought into focus the barriers and distractions some scholars face as they acclimate to college.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all in this together,\u201d White says. \u201cStudents come to us for support, knowing we\u2019ll be there even after hours and open to what they have to say. It\u2019s the benefit of having EOF as a family.\u201d<\/p>\n Diabate, in an interview a few days after Commencement, recalled her experience as a new EOF scholar. \u201cMy first year I was scared, but EOF became my home. It was made up of people I was able to relate to. Whether you were Haitian or African or Hispanic, we all had similar backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n But for her grit, finding a home at Montclair State nearly didn\u2019t happen. Diabate was initially declined admission.<\/p>\n Born in the United States, Diabate lived as a child with family in Ivory Coast as her parents juggled multiple jobs, returning when she was 8. \u201cImagine at that age, entering school not knowing your times tables or how to spell. You’re always trying to catch up. I’ve always felt that way.\u201d<\/p>\n She called Admissions asking, \u201cWhat can I do to better myself? How can I become a stronger candidate?\u201d<\/p>\n In her Commencement address, Diabate recalled, \u201cThe woman I spoke to said, \u2018No student has ever called to ask how can they better their future? Let me call the Educational Opportunity Fund program. Let me see what I can do for you.\u2019 She called me back and said they accepted me. Until this day, I do not know who that woman was, but she was the first of many miracles in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n One of her writing teachers, Tavya Jackson, an instructional specialist, says it was gratifying to see Diabate give the commencement speech. \u201cShe mentioned some of the challenges she faced when she first came to Montclair, and I was amazed to hear about what she had gone through, because she was always such a positive, friendly, open presence in our writing class. She struggled, at times, with her writing, but she displayed such effort and determination, such a willingness to try until she improved and succeeded.\u201d<\/p>\n In the interview, Diabate paused to reflect on her story. \u00a0\u201cAnd I made it,\u201d she says. \u201cI made it.\u201d<\/p>\n Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren<\/a><\/p>\n You May Also Like:<\/p>\n