By: Erik Pedersen, Senior Communications Manager
BALTIMORE – Nafissatou “Nafi” Diene ’23 recently completed a major personal milestone, earning a college degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University’s School of Education after immigrating to the United States as a non-English speaker 26 years ago. She accomplished that feat while dedicating an equal amount of effort towards building a school in the West African nation where she grew up.
Diene moved overseas from Senegal, a small country along the Atlantic Ocean coastline, in 1997 to join her husband in America. While she was growing up, many children had limited access to furthering their education in Senegal – Diene’s hometown only had an elementary school, requiring her to move to a different city to finish middle and high school while living with her grandmother and other relatives.
She still considered herself fortunate, however, that she at least had the opportunity to travel to complete her schooling. Those who did not have families or friends to host them were often out of luck. After witnessing many young children walking miles to get to school during her elementary years, Diene had always hoped to one day build a school in Senegal which would allow them to stay and study in their own community. That dream has now been realized, as a facility sponsored by Diene and others completed its first year in operation earlier this month.
Getting to this point took years of effort. Diene gained a solid background in English through her schooling growing up, but French is the primary language in Senegal. After moving to America, she took a variety of English courses offered at churches, government agencies and community colleges, and she also began working in childcare to further sharpen her language skills.
Diene was initially studying to become a nurse, but after over 15 years in childcare, she decided instead to work towards a degree in early childhood/elementary education. She first earned her one-year certification and associate’s degree from Montgomery College through a grant from Maryland’s Child Care Career and Professional Development Fund, and she transferred to Notre Dame during the COVID-19 pandemic to complete her bachelor’s program.
“Every professor I worked with at Notre Dame was so kind, positive, and knowledgeable,” Diene said. “They really give you everything that you need to succeed.”
Diene’s experience with faculty members at NDMU gave her the knowledge needed to excel in her own career as an educator, and it also provided her with ideas to enhance the relationships between students and teachers at her planned school in Senegal.
“Coming to Notre Dame and seeing all of the ways that they support students – the teachers in Senegal want to provide that as well,” she said. “They just don’t have the materials available. I wanted to build a school where the children wouldn’t have to worry about sharing supplies or not having materials to facilitate their learning. I want them to be able to just focus on their education.”
Diene used some of her saving money to make the initial land purchase in Thiès, a city just east of the Senegalese capital of Dakar where she went to high school. She purchased a variety of supplies and furniture through Amazon and other sources, while collecting supplemental materials through donations from other schools. Diene receives additional on-the-ground support from a friend who formerly worked as a superintendent, two sisters who continue to live in Senegal, and other supporters in the area.
The group hired two teachers for the school’s first year, and a total of 15 students were enrolled from the surrounding area, which did not previously have any nearby education facilities. Three are elementary school age, with the remaining currently in preschool. Diene hopes to continuously expand as the group ages, with an ultimate goal of allowing students to study there through high school.
As she worked towards earning her early childhood/elementary education degree, Diene spent the past four years serving as a paraeducator in Montgomery County, with a focus on assisting elementary school children with autism. After graduating from NDMU, Diene will transition to a traditional teaching role, and she hopes to bring her background in special education to her school in Senegal.
“We already have one child enrolled who requires special education,” she said. “It can be difficult for those children in Senegal. Not many people are trained to help them, and many schools don’t want to take them. They often get left behind, and it’s important to me that my school has special education classes available.”
Diene hopes to make regular trips to her school in Senegal while she is on break in the United States. One priority for her as the school progresses is to increase access to digital technology and scientific materials. She also hopes to provide a strong learning environment year-round for her children.
“I am hoping to establish some summer school programs,” Diene said. “Because sometimes when schools are closed there is nothing for the children to do. I want to create programs where I could travel there, at least for a month or so in the summer, to provide hands-on assistance when I’m able.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
