LYNN — Fatima Jallow-Nambouh is a first-generation college student who has made a prominent name for herself while living in Lynn.
The West African native, now 30, moved here in 2013 to guarantee herself the best education she could get, all while being pregnant with her now 4-year-old son Nathaniel. She grew up in Gambia as the youngest of five daughters, was the only one to complete her education, and aspires to help girls all over the world who struggle just as she did.
“From a very tender age I have always envisioned myself to be an agent of change because I grew up in a community where girls were not encouraged to go to school because their perceptions are that girls have to get married right away and boys go to school,” she said. “If I am going to be an agent of change, I need to be among the best of the best and it’s beautiful how Massachusetts in particular is well-known all over the world because of the great universities and colleges here. So I decided to study here, despite it being so cold.”
The Lynn resident signed up to take Political Science classes at North Shore Community College, a subject she has had a passion for since she was a young girl in West Africa. Since her enrollment less than two years ago, she quickly integrated into the campus community and has been named NSCC Student Trustee for the 2017-2018 school year, vice president of the Multicultural Society, and is one of 268 students from 40 states, Washington, D.C., Mexico, and Greece to be selected for the 2018 Newman Civic Fellowship.
“Lynn itself is very integrated and the people here are very welcoming but with that said I think I needed to find a sense of purpose and I could only do that by integrating even further into a diverse community and North Shore Community College represents all of that,” she said.
When Jallow-Nambouh was trying to finish her education in Gambia, her parents were unable to afford the remaining years she had left in high school. Her teachers, who always recognized her enthusiasm and work ethic, all chipped in to support her until she was able to finish.
“Going through primary school and then going to high school and having the support of my teachers actually was a breakthrough for me because if they were able to see through me and see that I deserve a college education, I wanted to be that person for someone else,” she said.
After graduating from high school, she accepted a job with the American Chamber of Commerce which allowed her to travel to various states over the years until she moved to Lynn almost five years ago. The young mother took her time to settle into her new home before she registered for classes at North Shore Community College in 2016.
“When I arrived it was hard for me to settle down with leaving Africa and coming here and the biggest thing I faced was trying to find a sense of belonging since it’s not easy relocating from another country and trying to start all over again,” said Jallow-Nambouh.
Also among her achievements are a six-week internship with the Massachusetts Legislative Government in 2017 that helped her develop leadership skills and knowledge about state politics and the honor of being selected as an advisor for NSCC’s TRIO programs. The community college’s TRIO program was created to support first-generation college students and families with low income by helping them decide what classes to take and show them how to improve their grades one-on-one.
“It’s easier for students who are also going through struggles to talk to me rather than going to their professor,” she said. “I have been tutoring since my second semester and a staff member had to personally nominate me as a tutor based on my performance in classes.”
This May, she will graduate from NSCC with her associate’s degree and an overall 4.0 GPA. Jallow-Nambouh has already been accepted into seven schools, with at least two of them offering her a full ride. Right now, she is hoping to continue her studies at Wellesley College with a major in International Relations and a minor in Political Science.
“I aspire to be an ambassador to help my community, to help girls, and also to serve as an inspiration for other girls who may be in the position I was in and tell them that they have no barriers and they can do it,” she said.
