Young Alumni Feature: Blandine Kenah `20

By: Ira Thor, Senior Director of University Communications and Media Relations | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301

 

You can’t help but smile when you meet Blandine Kenah `20. And nothing makes her happier than making others faces light up. Her innate desire to volunteer and give back to others is drawn from how she was treated when she emigrated to the United States from her native Cameroon in 2013, and first-hand experiences here at NJCU.

Because of the experiences she had as an undergraduate in the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) and as a student in the University Ambassador program, Kenah, a May 2020 graduate of NJCU with a degree in Psychology, joined the staff of NJCU’s Development office as assistant director of annual giving on September 14.

“Blandine is very passionate about NJCU and being able to help students through our foundation scholarship program,” said Cinthia Diaz, NJCU’s Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship. “She is always positive and tries her very best with all the challenges put her way. She truly enjoys connecting with our alumni and donors. She loves to hear their stories of when they were at NJCU."

When Kenah emigrated to the United States at the age of 16 from Bamenda, Cameroon, she enrolled as a sophomore at Ferris High School but didn’t know anything about America, how school systems operated, or higher education. While she couldn’t participate in sports in her native country, it was her Ferris High physical education teacher who introduced her to soccer and then track, and Kenah was able to connect to her peers through sports and learn more about her new homeland.

After graduating high school, she wasn’t sure where her college journey would take her, or how she would pay for it. She applied to Saint Peter’s and Hudson County Community College, before the doors opened to NJCU. Through the OSP program, most of her tuition was covered and she received mentorship and tutoring beginning the summer before her freshman year that proved to be the catalyst for her future success. She graduated with a 3.0 GPA.

“I felt so welcome and so much warmth from everyone I met that summer. Being an ambassador for the admissions office took me back to my first time on the NJCU campus and how so many people were willing to help me. I wanted someone to feel the same way as well. It made me want to become a university ambassador, so I had the opportunity to give to others. It was an amazing experience.”

Kenah began volunteering as an NJCU student when she worked in the Student Life office with Jeff Dessources and Malvanie Williams and later with Rob Quinones in the NJCU Center for Community Engagement, who offered her volunteer work. Over time, her love for volunteering was ignited.

“To go and help people, you see how their face lights up. I wanted to continue doing that. Making them happy makes me happy as well. Rob [Quinones] asked me to be the Gothic Knight Food Pantry manager and it was more like a community than a job. I did not know so many students at NJCU were facing food insecurity. It opened my eyes to things I didn’t know. When Victor Delvalle told me about the opportunity to work at the NJCU Foundation, I learned the opportunity is a new way to fill a community service role. The only difference is I am now working [to support] my peers.”

In her new role as assistant director of annual giving, she works with Diaz to support gifts and pledges from NJCU’s donors and helps students who receive scholarships to write thank you notes to express their gratitude. She also is sponsoring a giving campaign for the NJCU Foundation.

“I came to the United States seeking knowledge and a chance for a better life. Being a student at NJCU has opened so many doors to countless opportunities and growth. For that, I am eternally grateful to the family, friends, and mentors I found at NJCU who are geared towards the common goal of student success. There are 26 letters of the alphabet which means keep moving forward. Don't stop at plan B.”

As challenging as 2020 has been during the pandemic, there have been positive moments for Kenah. After seven years in the United States, the recent college graduate officially became an American citizen in a ceremony on November 3.

Her next dream is to move to South Korea to become a TEFL teacher (Teaching English as a foreign language). She loves learning about different cultures and peoples and is especially interested in Korea. While her plans to travel there have been delayed due to the pandemic, she has already started learning the Korean language to be prepared for the opportunity. Her work with students in NJCU’s Confucius Institute helped inspire her desire to teach English overseas.

Meanwhile, she is continuing her education at NJCU to obtain a master’s degree in School Psychology, and is motivated to work in a school setting where she can help students along their academic journey — just as she was assisted when her American story began in 2013. Ultimately, she would like to return to her native Cameroon to give back.

“I want to go back to Cameroon and serve the students there who need a lot of help. It’s much different there than here in America; the students don’t have the same support. One of the main reasons I chose school psychology is to help my fellow Cameroonians.”

Returning to her roots in Cameroon will complete the circle of opportunity for Blandine Kenah, who came to the United States in need of support and guidance and whose life has been transformed because of her experiences at NJCU.