As a Marian tradition rooted in the core value of “community,” the Cardinal Meyer Library holds a collection of 50 international flags highlighting Marian students from other countries. During the 2021-22 school year, the university added two more flags with a ceremony to honor the students.
Seraphine Kabogora is from the country of Burundi. It is one of the smallest countries in Africa and has one of the world’s poorest populations. Seraphine’s journey to her junior year in Marian’s nursing program started as a 12-year-old girl bartering her family’s goats to afford African boarding school. She came to the United States as a foreign exchange student at Lourdes Academy in Oshkosh.
She encourages everyone to appreciate the privilege of education while challenging us to remember that privilege is not afforded and available to everyone.
Growing up in the country of Tajikistan, in Central Asia, Ulughbek “Paul” Sadiev was born into poverty, spoke four languages by the time he was six years old, and helped his hard- working parents with their melon farm. Paul’s journey to his senior year as a double major in accounting and finance began when he was one of 33 youth selected to participate in an exchange program (more than 33,000 applications were submitted).
He is grateful for the freedom to study business – something that wouldn’t be possible in his home country due to the heavy emphasis on farming and agriculture studies. He credits his father with encouraging him to explore the opportunities this big world offers.
These opportunities allow for the Marian community to embrace unique differences, celebrate a sense of belonging, and come together while learning from the global classroom.