Grace Martine, Renée Meye and Aïssata N’Diaye are three friends with a similar journey: They were all born in francophone African nations and ended up at St. Edward’s. Martine and Meye were both born in Gabon, which is in West-Central Africa, while N’Diaye was born in Mali in West Africa. Each student speaks English and French fluently, and N’Diaye also knows Bambara, Mali’s national language.

How was your transition to the U.S.?

“We moved here because my dad thought that America would be the best choice for education. I didn’t want to come here, though. I cried because I didn’t want to leave. My first year was really hard because I didn’t speak any English, and I didn’t know people,” Meye said.

“I was scared of my accent. People would laugh at me and think I was weird. Every time I would talk to my dad, I would say I want to go back. But I stayed, and I’m glad I stayed. People at St. Edward’s are accepting and very nice. Nobody is going to look at you weirdly or judge you. Everybody is very friendly.”

“I wasn’t really sad when leaving the country because I knew it was for my own good. I was just sad about leaving my mom because I’m her only child. But we talk like every single day,” Martine said.

“I’m really extroverted. I’m not shy. I thought my accent was cool because people were like, ‘Oh where are you from? I like your accent.’ Instead of not talking, I went to talk to people. And if my English wasn’t so perfect, I was just like, I gotta talk.”

How is it different here?

“I like seeing the differences of cultures from one place to another. For example, the way you greet a person: in France you do la bise (kiss on the cheek), and here most people at St. Edward’s hug. It took me a lot of time to adapt,” N’Diaye said.

“People have different mindsets and think different ways and just everything is different,” Meye said.

“The food was a big deal for me. Here we don’t find a lot of food from my country (Gabon). That was just at the beginning. But then I started getting more familiar with the environment,” Martine said.

What are some of your favorite things to do at St. Edward’s?

“Chill with Grace at Jo’s. I love Jo’s. My favorite place to study is the library,” Meye said.

“I like Jo’s when it’s pretty outside. I also like the GroupX classes because you learn and have fun,” N’Diaye said.

Do you have any tips for incoming freshmen?

“Get involved. Have fun — don’t have too much fun — and study. The professors here are really nice. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask,” Meye said.

“Do whatever you can to join a club,” Martine said.

“It’s good to take a break and to just have fun,” N’Diaye said.

Final words of advice (en français)?

« On ne vie qu’une fois, » N’Diaye said.

« La vie ç’est pas le lait, » Martine said.

« Assume ta vie, assume tes choix. Amuse-toi bien, » Meye said.