As many are taught early on in their lives, passion is something that can find you at any time. Its fluid, dynamic nature can often be a source of frustration or clarity. For Cynthia Malambi, her passion found her early in her academic career, spanning an entire ocean to do so. After moving to Providence, RI, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a little over a decade ago, Malambi had big dreams for college, none of which included URI. With a nudge from fate, however, she found herself opting for her home state institution. “I judged it before even seeing it,” she states, “All I knew was that everyone from Providence went to URI, but, the day I went to visit the place, I forgot I was even in Rhode Island. I fell in love with the green nature.” Like many others, Malambi began her freshman year at URI with the Talent Development summer bridge program, giving her an intensive introduction to life at Little Rhody. “Because of the Talent Development summer bridge program, I found professors that treated me like an adult. There was no system of tyrannical hierarchy,” Malambi explains, “Professor [Rae] Ferguson, who teaches Africana Studies, became one of my mentors and my personal College Mom. This made me excited to start the academic year at URI.”

When her full-time academics officially kicked off, Malambi looked back on the passion she found during her early days in Providence and the DRC in order to gain a sense of direction. She opted for the double major route, selecting Political Science and French as the paths to follow. Her love for Political Science bloomed into fruition her sophomore year of high school, while French came as a direct result of cultural assimilation. “I knew I always wanted to be a humanitarian but never knew in what field I will get to change the world in…I was happy to fall in love with the field that helps make the greatest change we can hope for, whether it is climate change, refugee resettlement programs, or healthcare and education rights,” Malambi states, “I chose French because I want to work in Africa and French is widely spoken there. After moving to the States and having to speak English all the time, I wanted to recuperate my French vocabulary skills, which will help me conversate with African nations and write research papers in French.”

After a rather positive encounter her freshman year with a professor, Malambi had more confidence than ever in her abilities as a capable young adult, overcoming the anxieties brought on by her speech impediment and linguistic capabilities. She was more willing than ever to advance in her academic and professional ventures. Malambi expects to graduate May 2020 with B.A.’s in Political Science and French, and her dreams for what comes after are numerous. From an ambassador to Africa to working for an NGO, Malambi sees herself everywhere and anywhere on the political front. “When I tell people all this they tell me I am confused, I do not know which path I want to take exactly and I tell them ‘who says I can’t do it all?’ The reason why I have that attitude is that my mother never put any restriction on my dreams or my drive,” Malambi states, “She told me, ‘If you know you can do it, then go do it.’”

-Written by Chase Hoffma ’21, Writing & Rhetoric and Anthropology Double Major