"What's the worst that could happen?" Josué likes to ask himself whenever he reaches for something. He smiles when he says it.
Josué's smile makes people who meet him think everything is going to be ok. When you ask other people from Benin, West Africa, why they seem so happy they might say something like, "we've seen how bad life can get, so we appreciate the good times," but Josué's joy has another source. There is a higher calling, he explains, the need to "contribute….while making money," he adds, lest a listener think he's not being practical.
Sure, the Computer Science major, minoring in Chinese, has a lot to smile about. He's one of 150 students around the world this year to win a prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship, which funds one year toward a master's degree in global affairs at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing. A Stamps Scholar, King's Scholar, Great Issues Scholar, Bosworth Award grantee, and Davis Peace Prize recipient, he's no stranger to reaching for things. Josué's looking forward to continuing his study and work on sustainable development using AI and other technologies, primarily in education.
Josué grew up in Cotonou, a high-energy port city on Benin's south coast. Zemidjans (motorbike taxis) zip in and out of open-air markets; modern life and Voodoo (Vodun) vie for fashion, lifestyle, and culture. French, Fon, Adja, and Yoruba languages echo down alleyways. Working with Professors Coto Solano and McPherson in Linguistics, Josué explored using technology to digitize and preserve his native language, Adja. He was awarded a David Peace Prize for this important work.
Mentors at Dartmouth included Carly Boback, a lecturer in Biomedical Data Science at Giesel; Peter Jenkinson, Program Manager on the Global Studies team at the Dickey Center; and Jay Davis, Director of the First-Generation Office at Dartmouth, Laurel Richie and Jenny Wood, both Dartmouth alumnae, to name a few. Josué recalls responding to an ad Boback had posted for an M.A. research assistant. A freshman, Josué went to her office and applied anyway. "She took a chance on me," he says. "We talk about everything and nothing." "Mentoring is all about taking time," he says. "I'll barge into Peter's office and say can I talk to you for 15 minutes, and he always says 'yes'." Then there's Professor Yan, he recalls, who taught Josué in Chinese 1 and 2. "I almost did not apply for the LSE program in China, but I bumped into Professor Yan on campus one day and she said, 'You need to go,' so I spent last summer in Beijing."
Josué's parents did not complete high school but all five siblings in the family are educated he says, proud of his parents and his siblings. "There was always food on the table," he says. "Our parents wanted to make sure we were set, and education is the biggest gift you can give." When Josué goes home to visit, he is struck by all the "wasted potential." What did his parents say when he told them about the Schwarzman? "They were super happy. My mother started praying for me. She called me back to ask, 'when are you coming to visit me?'"
Josué has worked hard. He was a top student in his cohort taking the Baccalaureate in Benin. "I worked the system," he says, "but the system is broken." Does he feel pressure to go back? Sure. "But who is giving me pressure?" he asks himself, whenever he wonders where he might have the most impact. "Me!" It's still home, he says, admitting to missing the pounded yams, a food favorite. "But I want to make sure there are more of me. I want to be able to reach millions of people."
One of his favorite activities is networking—connecting people. "Take a professor to lunch!" He exclaims. "It doesn't cost anything!" College, he says, is really all about people and relationships. "Am I outgoing?" he thinks a minute. "It depends. Sometimes my social battery is dead."
This is when Josué usually gives himself a push, asking, "what's the worst that could happen?