SPC Alum makes International Difference

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To celebrate Community College month, Sane Haidara, an international student who graduated from St. Petersburg College in the summer of 2016, joined SPC for an online webinar with Professor Jeffery Kronschnabl, his past instructor, Dr. Susan Demers, Public Policy and Legal Studies Dean, and Frank Jurkovic, International Programs Director to share his experience at SPC and how much it changed his life.

Click here to watch the recording from Sane’s webinar.

Haidara, who lives in his hometown of Timbuktu in Mali, Africa, discussed how he turned his SPC bachelor’s capstone project in to a reality. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Administration and a master’s degree from the University of South Florida before returning to Mali to launch his project, which was the subject of his Capstone Project at SPC. He shared more about his about his non-profit, Association pour le Développement Communautaire au Sahel (ADCS), which focuses on four major projects in an effort to improve quality of life, and create an environment of trust, solidarity and mutual respect for his community:

  • Education (breakfast program and supplies)
  • Health (supporting community health centers)
  • Solar Powered Water Distribution
  • Elephant Conservation
Haidara, surrounded by children

Haidara was joined by the school principal and teacher, along with 189 of some of the young students who are helped by the non-profit each week. The children practiced the alphabet (in French), sang songs and provided a heartfelt welcome to all the students who were participating in the webinar. Student attendance has increased tremendously since ADCS began offering the breakfast to the children. Sane said for $1,500, ACDS can provide 200 students breakfast for six months.

Haidara, whose degree was made possibly by numerous scholarships from the SPC Foundation office, thanked SPC for providing him the means, skills and training he needed to be successful in what he is doing today. He added that after SPC, he was able to successfully graduate from USF with a master’s degree because of the groundwork SPC provided to him.