TU sophomore Oumou Diallo recently earned The Daily Record’s Leading Women Scholarship for 2014. The award recognizes a female student at a Maryland school who is active in leadership roles, community involvement and who works to inspire change.
For Diallo, winning the award means she can spread the word about the importance of service.
TU sophomore Oumou Diallo poses for the Humans of Towson University page.
“I just want everyone to make a commitment to impact someone’s life in any way they can,” the Guinea native says.
Last year, Diallo founded a Towson chapter of the international organization Hope of Guinea, the organization’s first chapter.
Diallo started the club to empower underprivileged kids in Guinea to pursue education by providing them with funds, clothes and school supplies. She understands the value and privilege of having access to school.
“Being privileged enough to go to a good school [in Guinea] and then coming here to pursue my goals made me realize the importance of education,” Diallo says.
She moved to the United States in 2010 when she was in high school. She spoke only French and learned English after moving here.
The business administration major decided to start Towson’s Hope of Guinea after attending the LeaderShape program last year. Though she faced challenges in forming the club, she says she was able to grow the organization thanks to her many mentors at Towson.
“Every time I fail, I just come and talk to them and they say, ‘This is just one bump. You can do it and you will do it,’” Diallo says. “Just having that support system doesn’t make failure a challenge to me. It’s just another thing that comes and I just push it out of the way and keep going.”
In addition to supporting education in Guinea, the chapter’s 20 members also complete community service in the Towson area.
“The goal for community service is to give back to the Towson community to tell them thank you for having us and for helping us reach our goals,” Diallo explains.
In addition to finding Hope of Guinea, Diallo is a community center assistant in Tower A, an office assistant for the associate vice president of student affairs, a member of The Big Event planning committee and a member of the National Residence Honorary Hall.
In the future, Diallo wants to become a United Nations ambassador and work to make education a right rather than a privilege. For now, she hopes that her role as a leader will inspire others to get involved.
“We’re fortunate to be college kids and to be here to earn an education, but we have to use this knowledge that we acquire to give back to the community,” she says. “I believe that today’s kids are the future and their visions and knowledge can build a better tomorrow.”
