Emebet Tessema

I was born and raised in the small city of Harar in Ethiopia. When I was twelve, I competed for a scholarship to attend Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA, in Swaziland. When I first arrived at Waterford I was in the same class as a refugee student from Burundi, and a student from an underprivileged area in Zimbabwe. Our cultural exchange helped me gain a greater understanding of the value of diversity. After succeeding in my seven-year stay in Swaziland, I was able to get a scholarship to continue my studies in the United States. I am now an economics major with a great interest in economic development in Africa. I am passionate about socioeconomic topics such as economic development, gender equality, and globalization. In the fall of 2014, I wrote an empirical paper about how empowering women would promote economic growth, and gradually lead to sustainable development. In the fall of 2015, I am studying abroad at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, to gain greater understating about African development. Having lived in Ethiopia, South Africa, Swaziland, France, and currently in the United States, I have had the privilege of gaining an international education.