" After leaving the Congo , Olive had no idea that one day she would be fighting bullies and building confidence in young women ."
OLIVE MBULAMBO
Country of Origin : Congo Occupation : Idaho ' s Miss Congeniality & Pageant Finalist
" After leaving the Congo , Olive had no idea that one day she would be fighting bullies and building confidence in young women ."
Born in the Congo at the close of the 20th century , Olive Mbulambo and her family learned early on how to pack up quickly and emigrate to another country . On the heels of the Rwandan genocide that triggered two consecutive wars in the Congo , Olive ’ s father hastily moved the family to Cameroon , where he taught university courses in chemistry , math , and physics for nine years .
During this time , he applied for refugee entrance into the United States . Olive ’ s mother , a stay-at-home mom , was the steadying force that settled the family and made Cameroon home . “ We never felt like a displaced people ,” recalled Olive . “ My mom knows how to make a home .”
“ Never underestimate the power of a stay-at-home-mom ,” Olive smiles broadly . “ I have a lot of career goals , but really , I hope I have enough courage and strength to be like my mom . She is the one who took us from being foreigners in a new city , to citizens in a new home . Our home .”
THE AMERICAN IMMIGRANT | THEAMERICANIMMIGRANT . US | TREATMENT
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