Name: Mamadou Fofana
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Program/cohort: MAT, Social Studies cohort
Undergraduate Institution and Major:
Kenyon College; American Studies: Education/African Diaspora
What's your favorite part of the MAT program?
I love the fact that I get to teach history that is fresh and relevant to the experience of my students.
What drew you to Brown?
The program’s mission statement and the connections I have been able to make are precisely what drew me to Providence and the Education program at Brown.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
My mother was a primary school teacher in my home country when I was born. That coupled with my teachers, who’ve become my mentors and have pushed me to maximize my potential, played a pivotal role in my decision to enter this profession. I hope to do the same for some of the students I get the opportunity to teach.
What are you most excited to teach?
I was an African American studies concentrator as an undergraduate, so I’d say that I’m extremely excited to not only teach about the Civil Rights movement but also expose my students to the fights for civil rights in American PWIs and college campuses. Given the CRT rhetoric that’s prevalent nowadays, it would be awesome to synthesize the push back against black studies on college campuses that began in the early 1970s.
Where is your placement and what do you enjoy about it?
My placement is at Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts and I enjoy the fact that it is an art-inclined school. I often find creative ways to align my content and skills to their respective art majors at TAPA.
What is something you enjoy about living in Providence?
I enjoy the water surrounding it; after being in a landlocked state for over a decade, it is refreshing to have access to so many beaches.
What are you excited about in the spring semester?
I’m excited to see how my capstone research and project play out; it is a topic I’m truly passionate about and cannot wait to see how my seniors grapple with it.
What has been your favorite moment of the MAT program so far?
It would have to be the unplanned study sessions I have with some of my social studies cohort members in the flex space or somewhere out and about on Thayer St.
What do you look forward to post-graduation?
I look forward to finding the right placement for myself, where I could teach and hopefully coach high school soccer.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy creating and listening to music or catching up on some of my favorite podcasts.
Who has made you the person you are today?
I’d have to say my father, to whom I owe all my discipline, and my “village of mothers” who’ve raised me including my mom, aunts, high school English teacher, an admission officer at Kenyon; I am nothing without those individuals.
I must give a special shoutout to Diane Silva Pimentel and John Palella for believing in me and allowing me to grow within this program. I’m extremely laconic by nature, but my experience within the MAT program thus far has pushed me and allowed me to come out of my shell more, for which I am very grateful!