����vlog���� alumna Brenda Gabriela Sandoval ’19 is another notable example of a Walton International Scholar who is using her Ozarks education to make a difference in her home country.

Sandoval, from Guatemala City, earned a B.A. degree in international business and history with Summa Cum Laude honors from Ozarks in 2019. Returning to Guatemala following graduation, Sandoval is working for The Focus Group, a company based in St. Augustine, Fla., that supports faith-based nonprofit organizations in areas of strategic planning, capital campaigns and feasibility studies. The company recently opened its first office in Antigua, Guatemala, where Sandoval works as a project assistant.  

“I love what I do because I feel like I’m helping support non-profits do the good work that they’re meant to do,” said Sandoval, who returned to campus this month for the first time since she graduated five years ago.

Following graduation from Ozarks, Sandoval first landed a job as a logistics coordinator for Latin America at a global apparel brand before being hired away by Prialto, a company that provides virtual administrative support for busy professionals and enterprise teams. She quickly worked her way up the ranks at Prialto, eventually managing a team of 35 employees. But despite her success at the company, her heart was pulling her in a different direction and she joined The Focus Group in February of this year.

“My goal is to one day run my own non-profit that helps and supports children in Guatemala and this job aligns with my long-term goals,” Sandoval said, “I believe this job will help me one day have my own nonprofit helping children in my country. I was extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to study at Ozarks and get a great opportunity. I want to help other children from my country have an opportunity for an education.”

Sandoval credits her Ozarks education for helping her succeed in working for companies and organizations that have an international reach.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience as far as being around such diverse classmates and professors,” she said. “It forced me to adapt to different cultures and different people and made me more open to these types of experiences. That has definitely helped me in my positions where I work with people from various countries around the world.”

Sandoval, who recently earned a master’s degree in international business and strategic management from a university in Spain, has also discovered that her history degree from Ozarks has been beneficial in her career.

The writing and analytics that I did in my history classes really have paid off in my career,” she said. “I think being a history major and understanding the backgrounds and history of different people and different countries has made me a more empathetic person when dealing with clients and business partners.”

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When Cassidy Rolle walks across the stage to receive her diploma Saturday at the ����vlog����’ 2022 Fall Commencement, she will be setting a shining example for her three younger siblings.

Rolle, from South Andros, The Bahamas, will graduate from Ozarks with a business administration degree and with the highest of academic honors, Summa Cum Laude (cumulative grade point average of 3.85 or higher). She will be the first in her immediate family to graduate from college, serving as a role model for her 18-year-old sister and two younger brothers, ages 10 and 6.

“We often don’t believe something is possible until we see it being done,” Rolle said. “As the eldest of four children, there was some pressure with my siblings looking up to me. However, I am ecstatic to have reached this goal. Not only is it a win for myself, but also my family and community. I want my siblings and others in my hometown to know that the world is filled with endless possibilities and where you come from should not limit who or what you can become.”

Rolle said she learned about U of O from a scholarship program in The Bahamas and that the University turned out to be a perfect fit for her.

“What made Ozarks perfect for me was the school’s location and class size,” Rolle said. “I grew up in a small community and had a graduating class of 18 students. I just felt like I would get lost in a bigger school. Here at Ozarks, I am more than just a number; professors know my name and face. I believe that had a positive impact on my academic performance.”

Rolle was part of the Public School Scholarship Program, a collaboration between Ozarks and the Bahamian Ministry of Education.  This scholarship provides funding for public school students in the Bahamas to attend Ozarks and other universities in the United States.

“This scholarship helped lift a high financial burden off of my parents,” Rolle said. “I am extremely grateful to be a PSSP recipient as attending university abroad was highly unlikely without this scholarship.”

While adjusting to college in a foreign country led to some challenges, Rolle said she became more comfortable when she became involved in student organizations.

“The whole experience has been eye-opening,” she said. “I wanted to go to college abroad to see more of the world and what it has to offer. Ozarks has been great in showing me so much of the world through the cultural diversity here on campus. However, it was tough adjusting to a new country while being away from my family. It got easier once I became a part of a family on campus. I found a family with the Caribbean Student Union, Black Student Association, the former Eagle Productions, and the residential life staff.”

Rolle said working as a resident assistant was one of her most rewarding experiences at Ozarks.

“This role allowed me to see college from a different perspective,” she said. “In this role, I found a purpose greater than myself; I got to be a part of shaping the college experience of incoming freshmen. I was able to meet and build connections with students on a personal level. Overall, my experience as an RA was my way of giving back and adding value to the Ozarks community.”

Rolle said her business professors at Ozarks became impactful mentors for her.

“All of my business professors has been equally impactful in shaping my college career,” she said. “Whether it was through advising, encouraging me to pursue an internship, recommending me to be a tutor, or recognizing my potential and holding me to a higher standard.”

Rolle also credited the University’s LENS program for providing her a well-rounded education. In addition to her business administration major, she minored in economics, Spanish and sustainable agriculture.

“I had always had an interest in Spanish and thought it make sense to continue building on the foundation I had started in high school,” she said. “As for sustainable agriculture, a professor suggested this minor, and after taking the first class I thought this area was interesting. Also with my home country trying to build a presence in farming and agriculture, it wouldn’t hurt to have some sort of knowledge in this field. In terms of future career plans, I have an interest in working in revenue management or financial advisory. Being able to speak another language makes for a more marketable candidate.”

Rolle said her best advice for young Bahamian students about to enter college is to keep an open mind.

“Sometimes your degree plans change as you learn more about yourself, so it is okay if you do not know exactly what you want to study,” she said. “If you do plan to attend a college abroad be prepared for culture shock. Some things will be different from what you are accustomed to, but I urge you to be respectful of others and their culture. Also, be sure to choose a university that aligns with your values and beliefs, prioritizes their students’ well-being, and most importantly offers your desired field of study.”

Following graduation, Rolle said she plans to move to Michigan where she has family and seek employment in the financial planning field. She also plans to earn an MBA in finance and describes her dream job as combining business and travel.

As she leaves Ozarks, she feels ready and prepared for her next chapter.

“Ozarks has helped me become more confident in my abilities,” Rolle said. “The campus involvement has made me more social and empathetic to situations affecting our campus directly and indirectly and the coursework has challenged me to develop critical thinking and analytic skills. My time at Ozarks can be described as unforgettable. The last four years have shaped the way I see the world and has prepared me to live life fully.”

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����vlog���� senior art major Aaliyah O. Knowles will present her Senior Exhibit, “Da Sun on My Skin,” from April 15-22 in the University’s Stephens Gallery.

There will be an artist talk at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 18, in Baldor Auditorium in the Boreham Business Building. There will also be a reception to meet the artist at 7 p.m. on April 22, in the gallery, located in the Walton Fine Arts Center.

Knowles, from The Bahamas, will graduate next month with Magna Cum Laude honors. She said her pottery and paintings reflect the love and admiration she has for The Bahamas and added that her Bahamian background fuels her artistic passion.

“The Bahamas is made up of 17 populated islands and each has their unique traditions,” Knowles said. “My pottery sets and two dimensional work captures these traditions.”

“Strolling down the Cape Beach as the sand melts beneath my feet with every step. Relaxation taking over the body as the cool breeze ruffles through my clothing. The sound of the waves crashing into the shore competes with the birds singing above. The transparency of the turquoise waters mirrors the marble blue skies that fills the atmosphere with warmth. This is the island life, the experience, ‘This is Da Sun on my Skin.’ ”

Knowles said functional pottery has an intimate connection with its users.

“As my Goombay mug is being held in your hand, your fingers fit comfortably in the curved handle, and your lips kiss the smooth rim as you indulge in your beverage,” she said. “For the potters mark, “AOK” is written on the bottom of each pot. This is my initials and reminds the user of some form of an upbeat and fun attitude. Each set consist of a family of three pieces, a plate, mug and bowl. Textures that are essential to the Bahamian way of life are reborn as surfaces and use natural materials from Long Island, my home, in-partner with molding mediums from the studio.”

Knowles said the forms contain subtle, spherical curves with surface designs depicting the tropical scenery and rich culture of The Bahamas.

“The ‘northside’ ocean in the family islands are an intense shade of blue,” she said. “This scenery is represented by the high-fire glazes of dark hues of blues and green with speckles throughout. The light sky blue hues mimic the way the sun peacefully garish the low-tide beaches while the beige clay body at the bottom depicts the golden sand. The vibrant Junkanoo culture is brought to life by the bold colorful brush strokes that list popular Bahamian dishes, like peas ‘n rice, and fried snapper.”

Knowles said that Bahamian artist Chan Pratt has been a huge influence on her work, saying “his realistic paintings invite the artist to experience the beautiful street life of Nassau.”

“My paintings capture the sunny landscape of the islands,” Knowles said. “The bright hues of blues and yellow work in harmony with the 3D pieces which completes my storytelling. I use color to represent the different aspects of Bahamian culture, the islands, annual events, dialect spoken, and names of Bahamian artists. My subtle functional pottery captures the Bahamian experience.”

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����vlog���� senior Ashante Pratt has had her video artwork, Peaceful Disturbance, accepted into the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum annual exhibition.

The RAM Annual Invitational, “Exploring Mindscapes: An Artist’s Reflection,” will be on display from Jan. 8, 2021, to May 16, 2021, at the museum, located at 1601 Rogers Ave., in Fort Smith.

Pratt, an art major and marketing minor from Nassau, The Bahamas, is graduating this month with the University’s highest academic honors, Summa Cum Laude.  

Pratt said that Peaceful Disturbance was inspired by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on her and her home country. She added that her video artwork demonstrates “the chaotic unfolding that has occurred mentally, emotionally and spiritually within me during this pandemic.”

“Even as the landscape of my home country displays its captivating peaceful rhythm, the foundation has found itself transforming starkly into a place of depression, aggression, confusion, and constriction under the rulings of a pandemic,” Pratt said. “The imperfect lines that overlay the video showcase the mood and heartbeat of all that I have witnessed during this period of uncertainty and fright. Nonetheless, these chaotic markings come from the hands of an artist, a citizen, and a soon to be graduate under the typical stress of education itself. As the video comes to a close and the waves engulf the scenery, I pull away from it all in deep need of a release from such a peaceful disturbance.”

Tammy Harrington, professor of art at Ozarks, said the University’s art department encourages its students to participate in professional development activities such as art exhibitions and conferences.

“Once an art major reaches the final semester of their time at Ozarks, those students are required to enter two exhibition or publishing opportunities,” Harrington said. “This push to try something new that is typically outside of a student’s comfort zone is important. You never know what can be achieved if you don’t give it a try. Several of our past students have been accepted into exhibitions and I am pleased to hear about Ashante’s inclusion in the prestigious annual exhibition at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum. This is a show that professional artists from all over the United States enter. It is my hope that this will encourage Ashante and all our students as well as alumni to continue for excellence in the art profession.”

The RAM’s theme for this year’s exhibit, “Exploring Mindscapes: An Artist’s Reflection” stems from the “isolation experienced by all during the Covid-19 pandemic and ever-present eyes of social media has caused many to self-reflect on their personal perceptions and experiences.” The exhibit evokes the concept of self-reflection in diverse media and subject matter as to include all artistic expression.

The annual invitational is a national competitive exhibition that has been hosted by the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum since its inception in 1948. The purpose of this exhibition is to encourage and recognize professional artists. In addition, this exhibition aligns with the museum’s mission to foster art appreciation in the community. All works will be for sale. All proceeds will benefit RAM’s exhibits, educational programing and the participating artists.

Pratt’s video artwork, Peaceful Disturbance, can be viewed here:

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Vivar is living in Mexico City and working as a senior consultant at the Dubai-based Amarante Consulting, a firm that offers advisory projects to a variety of public and private institutions in digital transformation and digital financial services. He works with financial intermediaries and associations in Mexico and throughout Central and South America, assisting in the development of digital strategies.

“These are the most exciting days to be working in financial services,” Vivar said. “Financial services had not been updated for more than 100 years and now we’re seeing the acceleration of innovation and mobile technologies that are allowing financial institutions to operate in a whole new competitive environment. Thanks to this wave of innovation and digitalization, the most vulnerable segments of society, especially in developing economies, are having the opportunity to have access to financial services and products and make a true difference in their lives.”

Originally from Guatemala City, Vivar graduated from Ozarks with Magna Cum Laude honors with a double major in business administration and marketing. Except for a year completing an MBA in finance in the United Kingdom, Vivar has lived in Mexico City since 2011.  

His current position allows him to combine his experience in and passion for technology and finance.

“My responsibilities include different tasks from business development, preparation of project proposals, client relationship management, institutional assessments and recommendations and building and developing business cases, models and feasibility studies,” Vivar said. “Basically, I’m working with clients to co-design solutions and create digital routes that help them maximize the digital wave within their institutions.”

Vivar especially likes helping underserved populations in his role. He works with clients throughout Central and South America as well as the Caribbean.

When looking back at his time at Ozarks, Vivar said he values most his acquisition of soft skills and the growth in his faith.

“Besides obtaining a degree from an American university and being able to speak a second language, I believe my time at Ozarks helped me in discipline, focus, self-confidence and networking. Those areas really helped me build my career,” Vivar said. “ I also got involved since my first days in Alpha and Omega campus ministries, an organization dedicated to spreading the Gospel on campus and organizing yearly relief trips to Central America. I started as a junior member and became the president of the organization during my last year. I also participated actively in a student-led Spanish Bible study called ‘Amisadai,’ which met every Friday during the school year for praise and worship events for the Spanish speaking students and the community. We shared the word of God in a cool, youthful manner. I am very thankful to the Baptist Collegiate Ministry for letting us use their facilities and for their unconditional support during those years.”

Vivar and his wife, Alejandra Leon, have been married since 2015. He said receiving the call in 2000 from former WISP Director Dr. Rickey Casey that he had earned the Walton Scholarship remains a transformational moment in his life.

“I came from humble origins and my parents were not able to afford my university education,” Vivar said. “I had not attended a bilingual school back home, so attending a university in the United States represented a big challenge in terms of the language. Dr. Casey truly trusted that I was going to contribute to the WISP program and that I would improve my English since the first day in Clarksville. I will always be grateful to Dr. Casey, Ozarks and the Walton family.”

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Originally from Honduras, Polanco-Montoya is a 2005 management and economics honors graduate and former Walton Scholar at Ozarks. She currently serves as the director of human resources for Palo Blanco S.A., a company of more than 3,500 people in Guatemala that produces and exports bananas, plantains, avocados, coffee, guacamole and rubber to more than a dozen countries around the world.

Since graduating from Ozarks, Polanco-Montoya has steadily climbed the corporate ladder in Central America, starting as a project coordinator for Toyota in Honduras and quickly being promoted to administrative manager for the northern region.

“I was in charge of the whole operation, and it was quite an experience and a challenge as I was asked to lead it as a young woman of 22 in an industry mainly made up of men,” she said. “We worked as a team, and implemented certain projects that resulted in increase in sales and cost reduction.”

Polanco-Montoya then moved to the Dole Food Company as a learning and development coordinator before being promoted to human resources superintendent. That move prompted her to earn a master’s degree in human resources from Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes in Spain.

“Once I got into HR, that’s when I fell in love with it,” she said. “I just enjoy working with and helping people and that’s what HR is all about.”

Polanco-Montoya and her family moved to Guatemala in 2014 after her husband got transferred there with his job to develop new farms for Dole. She quickly found a job in one of the largest sugar mill companies in Latin America, Ingenio Magdalena, and was promoted to human resources manager within five months on the job. This eventually led to her position with Palo Blanco.

At Palo Blanco, she oversees areas such as organizational structure, culture, learning and development, recruitment, labor affairs, corporate social responsibility, compensation and benefits, and the administration of employee services such as transportation, health services, elementary school and housing. The company houses almost 1,000 workers in company-owned neighborhoods and housing developments.

“This is definitely the most dynamic and fulfilling job I have had, and I enjoy it so much,” Polanco-Montoya said. “It is true that when you love your job and you have a great team, it does not feel like work.”

An area that has special meaning to Polanco-Montoya is the company’s social responsibility program that she manages.

“The program has two main pillars: social well-being and the environment,” she said. “In a normal year, we are focused on helping our employees and the communities where we operate. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company decided to put our energy into helping families that have been affected. As part of our program, we are providing bananas and plantains to many families and different non-government organizations (NGOs), as well as working with local governments and health authorities. Helping and making a difference for a person in need is a responsibility we all carry.”

Giving back to her community is a value that Polanco-Montoya says stems from her time as a Walton Scholar at Ozarks.

“Central American countries face enormous challenges,” she said. “My country, Honduras, is one of the most beautiful ones in the world, with enormous potential. Guatemala, my current home and second in my heart, is also a wonderful country, with so much to give. However, these countries have been hit by so much corruption, poverty and other challenges. These countries are in need of professionals to help make a difference, whether it be in the business world, government, NGOs or other areas. As a recipient of the Walton Scholarship, I made a commitment to be that change agent. Sam and Helen Walton were visionaries and saw that they could help start that change by providing high value education to students who could help make that difference in these countries. I have no doubt that they have contributed to making that change through the different Walton alumni throughout Central America.”

Polanco-Montoya said she often thinks about her Ozarks education and how it has impacted her career and life.

“I think of U of O and I smile. I had the best college experience, the best professors, and the opportunity to live in a different country, culture, and traditions,” she said. “U of O is a great institution and, without a doubt, helped shape my career. It helped turn me into the professional I am today. One of the classes that had an impact on me was Professor Cindy Lanphear´s organizational behavior class. I can still remember in our very first class, she said, ‘Most people think management is about bossing people around, but they are wrong. Management is about leading people.’ And at that moment, I knew I was in the right career path because I could identify with that. As the leader of a team, I have always tried to live by that example while helping develop people to their best version. I think that is the best legacy you can give someone.”

Polanco-Montoya said receiving the Walton Scholarship to study at Ozarks “opened the world to me.”

“It allowed me to grow and to become an independent woman,” she said. “I received an incredible education and then was able to take that education back to Central America and help make a difference. That’s the least I can do for the incredible opportunity I was given. My family and I will forever be grateful to the Walton family and, without a doubt, I wear the name in my heart always.”

Polanco-Montoya and her husband of 13 years, Miguel, have three sons, Miguel Alejandro (12), Abraham José (6) and Ramón Andrés (3). Her parents, Carmen and Juan Ramón, live in Honduras, as well as her sister, Karla, and brother, Ramón.

“It’s been an incredible journey and I can’t thank the Walton family and U of O enough,” she said. “I am and always will be a very proud Walton Scholar and U of O alumna.”

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Growing up poor as the child of a hard-working single mother in Guatemala City, Gladis Yessenia Alvarez was determined to make the most of every opportunity she had to succeed and improve herself. If the last four years are any indication, the newly-minted ����vlog���� honors graduate is well on her way.

Alvarez graduated this month with Summa Cum Laude (3.85 GPA or higher) honors with a double major in business and psychology and a minor in music. It’s been a long road for the Walton Scholar, who is the first in her family to graduate high school, not to mention college.

“I grew up just with my mom in her workplace and I remember that my mom and I used to sell pencils, toys, stickers, and snacks outside of my school, just to make some money,” Alvarez said. “We would sell multiple things during holidays in big events in the city, such as concerts. Then we used that money to buy my books and notebooks for the next school year.”

Alvarez’s first opportunity came when she received a sponsorship to help fund her high school education. She made the most of it by earning stellar grades, leading eventually to a Walton Scholarship from U of O.

“I look back and realize that if it wasn’t for my sponsor who helped me with my high school education, I would be working now instead of graduating from college,” she said. “I’ve been extremely blessed and have just tried to do the best I could with every opportunity I had.”

Alvarez has shined both inside and outside the classroom at Ozarks. She was recently named the outstanding student in both business administration and psychology. She has also served as president of the Phi Beta Lambda organization.

It didn’t start how smoothly, though, for Alvarez, who struggled initially with her English in the first few months at Ozarks.

“At the beginning, I felt scared of not being enough or not being able to maintain the scholarship because all my education was in a second language,” she said. “But, with the help of my professors, I slowly got better and got more confidence. I put extra effort in the classes that were difficult and challenging and I began to get better in time management, which is everything, I learned to prioritize things better and I ended up finishing everything on time.”

Alvarez is excited about returning to Guatemala and helping her country thrive. She would one day like to create her own non-profit organization dedicated to helping children in rural areas. She specifically hopes to assist children with learning disabilities, which was a topic of a thesis she wrote for one of her psychology classes at Ozarks.

“After doing my thesis on the effectiveness of getting early intervention in children with disabilities, that really inspired me to want to create a nonprofit organization back home dedicated to disabled children, especially in the rural areas where there is limited education and resources for them to succeed,” Alvarez said. “I believe that to really make a difference in my country, I need to start with making a difference in the lives of the children there. I was one of those children who had limited resources, but God gave me a sponsor years ago who helped me to see and realize my potential. His name is Jose Luis Granados and he believed in me and gave me the opportunity to change my future. I want to give this back and help others, just as I was helped.”

Alvarez is also grateful to her Ozarks psychology and business professors, especially Karen Jones, Dr. Joel Hagaman, Deb Sisson and Dr. Isaac Hunter.

“Professor Jones always pushed us to think harder and really got us involved in the topics by comparing and giving real world examples in the tests and homework. All of her classes were challenging, but I learned so much because of that,” Alvarez said. “Professor Hagaman always had a smile and encouraging words for us to do better and bigger things. He was always cheering us up and sharing his knowledge in an easy to understand ways. Professor Sisson made me love the marketing and accounting parts of business. She was always pushing us to think outside of the square. And, Professor Hunter is so enthusiastic and I was really blessed to have him in the psychology department. I conducted my seniors thesis with him and he encouraged us to reach our full potential and to make our lives truly meaningful. He was the one who helped me to realize that I want to make a positive change in my home country and that I want a meaningful life and that I want to help others make their lives meaningful.”

Alvarez said she felt “extremely blessed and proud to be a part of the Walton International Scholarship program and to be an alumna of Ozarks. There are not words that can describe my experiences here at Ozarks, but if I have to choose a word, it would be ‘blessed.’ It has been an incredible honor to represent my country and to demonstrate to myself all the things that I am capable of doing and achieving.”

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Lee, from Penang, Malaysia, will graduate with a communications degree and minors in marketing and theatre. His parents, George Lee and Naomi Paranjothy, met as Ozarks students in the early 1980s, both graduating with business administration degrees in 1985. Married since 1990, the Lees live in in Penang, where they’ve established impressive careers in public relations, event management and software development.

Lee said even though his parents were both from the same city and attended the same church in Malaysia, they didn’t meet until arriving at Ozarks.

“It’s strange that they had to travel all the way here to meet each other,” Lee said. “They both love Ozarks and have very fond memories of their time here, especially having made some lifelong friends. They’re pretty happy and proud that I’m going to be an Ozarks graduate as well.”

Growing up on the east coast of Malaysia and later in Penang, Lee and his two brothers would often hear about the University from his parents. Lee decided to attend Ozarks as a transfer student in 2018 after visiting campus with his parents and meeting with the professors in the communications program.

“I have always enjoyed taking photos and making videos, so communications was an easy choice,” Lee said. “At a young age, my father introduced me to photography and he has always encouraged me to improve myself. Once I saw the facilities at Ozarks and visited with the professors, I knew this was the place where I could improve my skills and knowledge.”

The University’s LENS program forced Lee to think outside the box in choosing his minors, something he is now grateful for.

“I chose marketing as a minor because I enjoy marketing and the concepts behind it, and it is a great skill set to have,” he said. “The reason I chose theatre as my other minor is because of the LENS program. When I came to the U of O, I was new to the world of theatre, and I was afraid that I would not be able to fit in. I probably wouldn’t have taken theatre if it weren’t for LENS, but I’m glad I did. The environment was very welcoming and being a part of it has helped me understand the process of theatre, the collaboration and cooperation needed to produce a good show. These are characteristics that are extremely beneficial to me as a communications major.”

Lee said Ozarks has helped put him a career trajectory that has him excited and inspired.

“I want to be great in the field of filmmaking and photography and I believe my professors here have helped me down that path,” Lee said. “I was able to gain new experiences and better knowledge in these areas and I’m excited about what the future holds.”

Lee said one of the highlights of his time at Ozarks was working on a documentary with award-winning Northwest Arkansas filmmaker Larry Foley called, “Indians, Outlaws, Marshals & the Hangin’ Judge,” that is scheduled to be released this year. Several students had the opportunity to help out with the production through connections with Ozarks Professor Susan Edens.

“To be able to work alongside professionals in their field of work was a great experience,” Lee said. “With the help and guidance of Professor Edens, it was an honor to have such a rare opportunity. That is just one example of many where Ozarks provided me with opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. The faculty and staff at Ozarks have been supportive and helpful from day one.”

Lee said he plans to continue his formal education in photography and filmmaking after graduating from Ozarks and that he hopes his own children might one day follow in his footsteps at his alma mater.

“I am proud to have kept this legacy of my parents at Ozarks and I hope to pass it to my children one day,” Lee said. “My two years here at Ozarks have been so beneficial to me as a student and as a person. I have made friends that I will forever hold close to my heart and the faculty and staff have impacted my life in ways that I never would have thought. I will forever be grateful for my parents meeting here and having an opportunity to attend here.”

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Gloria Cizungu has always had a fascination and love for cosmetics and, thanks to ����vlog����, she’s well on her way to turning that passion into a career.

Cizungu is a senior business administration major from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country of about 84 million in Central Africa. While she’s not scheduled to graduate from Ozarks until December 2020, she’s already combined her love of cosmetics with an entrepreneurial spirit to launch her own cosmetics brand a few months ago.

“I started doing makeup for people in 2016 back home, but I realized that it was so hard to get good products there and almost impossible if you were not wealthy,” Cizungu said. “I’ve always loved everything about cosmetics and I like looking good and having good makeup on. So in 2017, I started planning to have my own makeup brand.”

Cizungu decided to tie her country’s highly diverse linguistic landscape into the naming of her business and cosmetics line. While French is the official language of the country, there are more than 200 living languages spoken in the country. Kituba, Swahili, Tshiluba and Lingala are the country’s four national languages.

She calls her business Buzuri, which means “beauty” in Swahili. When she launched her first products this past December, she named the collection Elimu, which means “education” in Lingala, because, “I believe that people can be educated through makeup.” The collection was composed of lipsticks, each of them named in honor of Congo’s national languages, plus some of the North Kivu (one of Congo’s provinces) languages.

“My favorite part of having my own brand is the education aspect of it,” Cizungu said. “I love it when I can explain what Buzuri means or I can tell people the meaning of my lipstick names. That makes me very happy because I feel like I’m sharing the pride of my country with them and helping to educate them about the languages of my country.”

Ironically, it was language that was Cizungu’s biggest obstacle when she enrolled at Ozarks in January of 2017 after learning about the University from a family friend who was an alumnus. She studied English for only about three months at the Congo American Language Institute (CALI) before enrolling at Ozarks.

“I thought I was a ready with my English, but I quickly realized that three months was not nearly enough,” she said. “The first few months were the hardest of my life. I didn’t have any friends and if you didn’t speak French to me it was hard for me to talk to you. I even remember having a roommate my first semester who I couldn’t even communicate to that our room was too cold. I had to Google everything. It was very painful, but I just started reading everything I could. I turned every one of my electronics to English and started doing everything — music, movies and books — all in English. I started making some friends and just continued to work on my English. It’s amazing how far I came.”

She said her professors were the ones who made a difference for her during that first semester.

“They were really my angels because they knew I had a language problem and they were patient and worked with me,” Cizungu said. “They were very encouraging and helped me to continue to improve. I remember when my I got my grades that first semester and receiving congratulations from some of them. I was crying that day. They truly are my mentors and some of them don’t even know how much they’ve helped and motivated me.”

That type of help has inspired Cizungu to look for ways to serve.

“When I didn’t have my family here, I saw people assisting and helping me through my hard times,” she said. “I even had somebody drive me two hours to a hospital during the summer when I was not feeling good. That made me realize what an impact we can all have on each other by helping one another. From then on I made myself a personal challenge to volunteer my time or service at least once a month for an entire year. That’s been a very rewarding experience.”

A curriculum concentration on international business and its bevy of business classes have been especially inspiring to Cizungu as she contemplates ways to grow and expand her cosmetics brand.

“I think about classes, such as my business communication class or my finance class, that have been so helpful in giving me skills and knowledge that I can use in my own business,” she said. “Studying business here at Ozarks has really opened my eyes to so many things. I believe I’ve learned things in all of my classes that will help me be a better business person.”

Cizungu’s cosmetics are produced in Canada and then, with the help of an uncle, shipped to her to be branded. She hopes one day to produce her own makeup in Congo and have her own cosmetics line in all 26 provinces of Congo.

“When I see people, especially Congolese, buying my makeup, I cannot describe my feeling,” she said. “It used to make me cry with happiness. My goal is to grow my makeup company back home and give my country access to high quality and affordable makeup. From there, I want to expend Buzuri makeup and export it all over the world.

While her goals may seem lofty, Cizungu has already proven that she can overcome long odds.

“When I moved here, I was not even sure I was going to make it to today,” she said. “Thanks to my vision and determination and to professors who pushed and challenged me, I have been successful. Now I know that it doesn’t matter which country you come from or what your background is. What matters is that believe in your vision and that you fight for it. Yes, I dream very big, but it’s because I believe in myself. Believe is a magical word that everyone should carry with them wherever they go.”

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Only about 500,000 people in the world speak the Mayan language called Kekchi and ����vlog���� junior Marcelina Pop of Belize is proud to be one of those native speakers. This past summer she was able to put those skills to use as an interpreter in an immigration case.

Pop, an English and psychology major, is from the southern Belize community of San Pedro Columbia, a village of about 1,200 people and the country’s largest settlement of Kekchi. The community is known for its hand-woven embroidery that dates back to the peak of the Mayan civilization in 900 A.D. Most of the population of San Pedro Columbia came to Belize from the Petén region of Guatemala in the late 19th century.

“I grew up in a small, rural Kekchi village with chickens in the yard, cacao drink in the making and women slapping clothes on slabs of rock by the river banks,” Pop said. “The elders emphasize speaking Kekchi more than the younger people in the community. My parents are very traditional in the sense that they always, always speak in Kekchi at home. Almost everyone you meet in my village either speaks Kekchi or, at the very least, understands Kekchi.”

Pop was asked to interpret this summer by an attorney in Northwest Arkansas for an immigration case on the Mexican border involving a child separation of a family from Guatemala that only spoke Kekchi. The attorney found Pop through U of O Spanish Professor Dr. William Clary’s connection with the court interpretation network in Arkansas.

Pop was able to assist the family through several phone conferences during the summer and was paid for her interpretation services.

“When Dr. Clary asked me if I would be willing to assist on the case, I was surprised,” Pop said. “It was wholly unexpected since Kekchi is a native language and very few people speak it outside where I’m from. I knew from the moment Dr. Clary asked that I would do it because it isn’t every day that I can use my language to provide assistance. It was a privilege to serve as an interpreter, even though it was a difficult situation for the family. I only wish that the circumstances would have been different.”

Pop said that growing up in San Pedro Columbia, she spoke Kekchi at home and learned English in school. She rarely gets to speak Kekchi when she’s at the University.

“I only speak Kekchi when I call my parents back home and sometimes when my friends would ask me to say something,” Pop said. “I have had a couple friends who wanted to learn some words in Kekchi, but they quickly gave up since, according to them, it was such a throaty language.”

Pop said she chose her double major in English and psychology because she “wanted a balance between what I’m passionate about and what would challenge me. English is more of a hobby and psychology is a challenging interest.” She plans to pursue a career in educational or social psychology.

Whatever career she chooses, Pop said her Kekchi heritage will always be a big part of her life.

“My culture instills core values of humility and industriousness, which speaks volumes in how we treat people,” she said. “If you were ever to visit any Kekchi house, you would surely be offered a hot cup of cacao drink and our famous dish, Caldo with poch. I’m just very grateful for and proud of my Kekchi heritage.”

In an informal survey conduct by Clary, he found approximately 30 native languages spoken on the U of O campus by students, faculty and staff. Those languages include Moroccan Arabic (Darija), Indonesian, Malay, French, Karen, Javanese, Swahili, Georgian, Lingala, Kikuyu, Kinyarwanda

Mashi, Jamaican Patois, Azerbaijani, Shona, Kaqchikel Maya, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Japanese and Uzbek.

“That’s quite an amazing aggregation of languages for a school of around 850 students,” Clary said.

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