Two research grants have allowed Oumou Leye
'07, of Senegal, to
explore topics language and economics. Leye extended
her fall 2005 semester in Spain through a grant from
the Center for International and Intercultural Studies, researching
the topic "Arab Heritage in Contemporary Spanish Culture and
Lifestyle: A Comparison between Madrid and Andalusia." In the
summer of 2005, she was awarded a University Fellowship to
work with Professor of Economics Robert Blewett on a project called "Financial
Assistance and Economic Development in Developing Countries: A Case
Study of Cote d'Ivoire."
Prior to coming to St. Lawrence, Leye attended school in Norway through
the United World College program. All that travel and study has resulted
in her becoming fluent not only in the languages of her native country,
French and Wolof, but also English, Spanish and Norwegian.
"I love languages. I love learning new languages. And I just
love to travel all over, especially to places that are totally different," says
Leye. She plans a career in international economic development.
"So many places in the world need help," she notes. "If
you have the ability to do that, I think that you should. My studies
in languages and in economics are helping me to develop those abilities,
so I think that that is the sort of work I would most like to do. I
like to get involved with groups that do some good."
