Sorelle Kevine Chimi Mbakup was selected as one of the 2015 21st Century Leaders. This honor is awarded to 10 graduating seniors who have demonstrated exemplary standards of achievement, initiative and social awareness. We are very proud that Sorelle earned one of these prestigious awards.

Sorelle came to the U.S. from Cameroon at age 9. She graduated this may with a double major in Resource Economics and Journalism. Her goal is: to improve the living standards of people, especially those in developing nations. Sorelle was attracted to the Resource Economics major by ResEcon 121 – Hunger in a Global Economy. She hopes to enter the Peace Corps with an assignment in Africa. After completing that assignment, she hopes to work for the United Nations, the World Bank, or the African Development Bank.

Sorelle is truly a global citizen and has a strong global perspective: “We live in a globalized world. It is not enough to stay in one country.” She has two study abroad experiences in India and Africa where, in addition to her main study abroad responsibilities, she also volunteered at an orphanage (in India) and helping poor people (Africa). 

Sorelle volunteered on campus as President of the Resource Economics Society, as a member of the African Student Union and was a writing tutor to low-income junior and senior high school students in Springfield, Massachusetts. She also wrote for the Daily Campus.  We will miss having Sorelle help lead our Department and are grateful to have such a wonderful scholar in our class of 2015. Congratulations Sorelle!