Education

• Ph.D., Higher Education Administration – International Education, Kent State University 2025 
• M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, Kent State University, 2017
• B.A., English Language and Literature, Université Gaston Berger, 2004 

MY BACKGROUND

My name is Abdoulaye, and I am a Global Experiences Coordinator and Liaison to the College of Business. Originally from Senegal, a country in West Africa, I speak three languages: Wolof, one of the local languages spoken at home; French, the official language; and English, which I learned in junior high school before choosing it as my major in college. After earning my B.A. in English Language and Literature, I taught English for several years before pursuing graduate studies in the United States. I would love to add Spanish to my list of languages, and learning it may be my next goal. 

MY STUDY/WORK ABROAD

My experience studying abroad began when I left my country to enroll in graduate school in the United States. I earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Kent State University. While there, I mainly worked on exchange programs and had the chance to meet people from nearly every corner of the world who came to the United States for educational and cultural exchanges. I worked with teachers, international students and scholars from countries such as Brazil, Chile, France, Ghana, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Thailand, and Uganda, to name just a few. My goal is to someday backpack around the world and stop in various countries, knowing that I will have a friend to visit wherever I go. For me, these lifelong friendships are the most rewarding aspect of my global journey. 

MY IDEAL NEXT TRAVEL DESTINATION

Europe and Asia are my ideal next travel destinations. I am eager to learn more about Asia, and if I had to choose, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam would be among my top picks.