Honors student draws on Malian heritage to pursue global public policy

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Third-year Penn State student Fatoumata Doumbia is leveraging her dual major in global and international studies and African studies to connect her Malian heritage with her professional interests in international development and diplomacy.

“Since high school, I really enjoyed learning about history and different cultures, and I knew I wanted to work abroad one day,” Doumbia said. “Both my majors allow me to explore broader international issues while staying connected to my identity.”

Doumbia is heavily involved in the campus community, including being a member of the Next Gen Leadership Academy in the School of Public Policy and serving as vice president of NextGen at Penn State University Park, a political organization focused on student engagement in democracy. The role, she said, pushed her to “become more independent and more comfortable with talking about my ideas with other people.”

Her honors experiences have played an equally important role. Doumbia is a Schreyer Scholar and Paterno Fellow — communities she says that have shaped her confidence, curiosity and sense of belonging.

“Penn State’s honors programs expanded my academic horizons while giving me mentors who genuinely care about my goals,” she said. “Being part of these communities helped me realize that my perspective as a Malian woman in international studies in valuable and needed.”

She added that the Chaiken Scholars program, in particular, provided the grounded she needed early on.

“Being a Chaiken Scholar gives me a first-generation community and a chance to connect with students who share similar challenges,” she said. “It made Penn State feel smaller and more supportive.”

Doumbia’s academic journey extends far beyond campus through embedded programs in Benin, Australia, Bulgaria and Cambodia. Each experience, she said, deepened her understanding of culture, language and development — and helped her reflect on her own upbringing.

As a first-year student, she traveled to Benin in West Africa to study linguistics and the struggle to preserve local languages in a country where French remains dominant. The program challenged her prior beliefs about spiritual traditions.

One of the most memorable moments, she said, was “a day spent cooking and sharing a traditional meal that highlighted Benin’s strong communal values.” That experience contrasted with the individualism she often experiences in the United States and reminded her of the collectivist traditions she cherishes in Mali.

During winter break her second year, Doumbia studied sustainable urban redevelopment in Sydney, where she explored how growing cities balance modernization with equity. That spring, she joined other Schreyer Scholars in Bulgaria to examine history, identity and propaganda in media — a course that helped her understand how narratives shape political realities across continents.

Her most recent embedded program was a Maymester in Cambodia. There, she learned about the country’s recovery from genocide and was inspired by local students who taught younger children while pursuing their own degrees.

“Even after such a difficult history, people were optimistic about the future and emphasized the importance of education,” she said. “It reminded me why I want to work in development.”

Doumbia credits enrichment funding from the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network and Schreyer Honors College with making these experiences possible.

“It lessened the burden of how I was going to fund these experiences,” she said. “Without it, I don’t think I would have been able to participate.”

She also emphasized that the staff in the Liberal Arts Student Services offices were instrumental in helping her plan these opportunities.

“Penn State really invests in students who want to see the world,” she said. “Each academic adviser and career coach I met wanted to help me succeed, no matter where I wanted to go.”

Doumbia recently attended the Public Policy Leadership Conference at Harvard University, a selective, fully funded program designed for students passionate about public service and social change. After discovering it through TikTok, she used her Penn State network and LinkedIn connections to prepare a competitive application.

“Through LinkedIn I asked a UChicago student, and they reviewed my application,” she said. “It was very valuable. It opened my eyes to what graduate school in public policy can look like and helped me understand the journey toward the kind of work I want to do.”

The conference also helped her see her Malian identity as a strength in policymaking.

“Hearing from professionals who work internationally and domestically  made me realize that my background gives me insight into issues affecting West Africa,” she said. “It made me feel like I belong in these spaces.”

Doumbia’s long-term goal is to work in West Africa on projects that promote self-sufficiency and sustainable development.

“I’ve seen firsthand the underdevelopment in Mali, and I want to help make West Africa a place where people can stay, find jobs and live a good life,” she said.

Reflecting on her time at Penn State, she said that the University has given her far more than she expected.

“Penn State has opened so many doors for me — academically, globally and personally,” Doumbia said. “Every experience has prepared me for the next one.”

Her advice for students considering studying abroad is simple: “Seek support early. Penn State has so many people who want to help you. Be open to asking for help, and search for funding ahead of time.”

Reflecting on her college journey so far, Doumbia said the most rewarding part has been “being able to experience new opportunities, especially outside of the classroom, and knowing I’m growing into the person I want to become.”

The College of the Liberal Arts is home to one of five Chaiken Centers created through the philanthropy of Gene and Roz Chaiken to support student success. The inaugural Roz and Gene Chaiken Center for Student Success was established in the College of the Liberal Arts in 2021, with four additional centers added in 2024 at the University level, Penn State Abington, Penn State World Campus, and the College of Information Sciences and Technology.