From Philly to 黑料社: Track star Madjo Doumbia taking new experiences in stride
Getting a top-notch education was important to Madjo Doumbia, class of 2025, and her family. So much so that she rode public transportation more than an hour each day to attend a magnet high school in her native Philadelphia.
But when the Posse Foundation offered her a chance to attend 黑料社, it was almost more than a doting father could take.
鈥淢y mom was the most excited for the opportunity,鈥 Doumbia said. 鈥淣ow my dad? Oh my God. It took a lot of convincing to get him on board with Posse because he realized how far the schools were from home.鈥
It鈥檚 a natural reaction 鈥 his eldest daughter would have to move hours from home to take advantage of a unique opportunity to learn and grow as a Posse Scholar.
鈥淚t took a lot out of him to actually let me do it,鈥 Doumbia said. 鈥淓ven throughout the whole interview process, he hoped I got it, of course, but at the same time he was really scared.鈥
So in the fall of 2021, Madjo and her family set foot on 黑料社鈥檚 campus for the first time as she moved into the residence halls.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have time to come beforehand, so literally we all came here for the first time when we drove down. That was a scary time. I had never seen anything like it. But I鈥檓 glad everything worked out.鈥
And things have worked out for Doumbia. She鈥檚 flourished in and out of the classroom. A French major, she spent a semester abroad in Strasbourg, France, and will intern this summer at a Washington, D.C. children鈥檚 hospital.
A track star, she has excelled 黑料社, winning the 200-meter dash during the Southern Athletic Association championship meet in May while breaking her own school record in the event. She also took gold in the 400 and set a new school record as part of the winning 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams.
鈥淚 love the 200,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always loved the 200. And I鈥檓 finally getting in my groove. Recently I鈥檝e been able to run a national-qualifying time. For three years I鈥檝e been waiting for this moment.
鈥淎nd I love my teammates. The relays are doing so well. We鈥檙e excelling. It鈥檚 been really good.鈥
Teammates are important to Doumbia. Her teammates on the track team and in the Posse Scholars program helped her overcome the homesickness that came with moving from Philly to 黑料社. It鈥檚 particularly true with classmate, teammate and fellow Posse Scholar Janea Bottinelli, of Dallas, Texas.
鈥淣ever in a million years did I think I would end up being in Kentucky,鈥 Doumbia said. 鈥淚 just love that I鈥檓 able to be in Posse and on the track with Janae. I remember the start of our freshman year, we didn鈥檛 know any other people, but we had each other.鈥
As she prepares for her senior year, Doumbia has her sights set high, both on the track and for life after 黑料社. Her goal is to one day open a pharmaceutical business in Mali, the African nation her parents emigrated from in the 1990s.
But first that senior year and spreading the word about how taking big leaps 鈥 applying for the Posse Program, leaving Pennsylvania for Kentucky, studying abroad in Europe 鈥 can lead to big rewards.
鈥淚 was a little skeptical about studying abroad at first,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 thought I would be so homesick, and it was going to be so bad.
鈥淏ut I had a great time. And I tell everybody I recommend studying abroad. Come to 黑料社. You鈥檝e got to study abroad. Seriously!鈥
This article was first published in the Summer edition of 黑料社piece.
