Olie Gnagno Class of 2003
Like all of the other International Class of 2003 Seniors, I applied to an array of colleges but, luckily for me, I remembered the adage “Mother knows best”, and took the advice of my mom, who urged me to complete the application for Smith Col- lege. From the bottom of the pile of applications, I retrieved it, thinking bleak thoughts about going to a school in the middle of nowhere in Massachusetts, without male bodies in the student body! Looking
back now, it was one of the best decisions that I have made in
my life. Not only was my matriculation successful, but the academic foundation that International had provided, pushed me
to excel at one of the most respected liberal arts colleges in
the United States. At Smith, I continued my political involvement—started at International—by being elected secretary of
the Black Students Association, as well as co-chair of Smith’s
African and Caribbean Students’ Association. Despite a rigorous double major in French and Government, I augmented my
political responsibilities with social activities that included
events, such as the Faculty Dance Concert. Whether academic, political, social, or cultural, these activities were the venues
in which I forged lifelong friendships with incredible women
from around the world.
My junior year at Smith was a peak year for me: I was
accepted into Smith’s Junior Year Abroad Program. For one
year I studied in Paris, France. To fully describe my experiences in Paris would require far more time and space than I’ve
been given. Highlights: internship in the French Senate; being
in the midst of the 2005 uprising; becoming part of a French
family; discovering my love of analyzing societal structure
and norms, and their impact on ‘immigrants’ born in France.
After graduation from Smith, I toyed with the idea of
going back to Paris, but accepted a position at an Atlanta,
Georgia law firm, instead. The contrast between small-town
Northampton, and big-city Atlanta, could not have been
starker. The city lived up to its nickname, “Hotlanta.” Al-
though I enjoyed the work that I did at Kilpatrick, my desire
was to return to Paris to re-engage in its cultural and political
life, and to truly master fluency in French. Consequently, I
enrolled in New York University’s Masters in French program
and moved to Paris. My Masters Thesis examined the appar-
ently schizophrenic nature of French society whose national
motto, ‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité’, is trumped by its refusal
to recognize the children of North and sub-Saharan Africa,
born on French soil, as French. In addition to my studies, I
also worked with the European American Musical Alliance, as
a translator. Before leaving France, I received an acceptance
letter from North Carolina Central University’s School of Law,
placing me into the Class of 2012. First
year of law school was difficult, to say
the least. It was almost a surreal re-en-
actment of my first year at International.
But just as I had done at International,
I stuck it out, with the help of caring
faculty/administration, and supportive
student friends. While in law school, I
was elected co-chair of the Public Inter-
est Law Organization, and just recently,
I was selected to participate in a service
trip to Nigeria to aid in the rehabilita-
tion of trafficked women and children.
Having graduated in May, I am thankful
for the support and academic prepara-
tion I received at International. My
experience there truly prepared me for
all that I have had the opportunity to
experience, both personally and profes-
sionally, and for that I say, ‘Thank You.’
Here’s to the next 50!
