Keely Aouga is a Junior at Howard with a sociology major, with a journalism minor from Newark, NJ. Keely and I met in the summer of 2014, during prep 9. We have since attended the same schools, which we talk about at length. Her parents are from Togo, which is in West Africa. Aouga speaks about being misunderstood and feeling out of place due to her heritage. Often floating between groups, she credits Prep to giving her stability, relatability and preparedness. It was the first time that she was learning with primarily black and brown students. I asked Keely to parallel her first Andover visit versus her first day of school. After just two visits, she felt it was going to be her home. All things considered, she had as smooth a freshman year as one could have. During her sophomore year, she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, which she had to deal with for the duration of her tenure. Many times, she felt firsthand how mental health can be unfairly criminalized. Days before her graduation, and unable to miss any more class, she was unable to get out of bed. She recalls almost going home, eventually roughing out the final stretch. Keely was elected and served as student body co-president. I ask her to tell me more about the nuances of the job, what it has taught her about student influence or the lack thereof, and how hard it was to change policy. When applying to college, she wanted an authentic experience and one where her mental health would not take a sever back seat. Being rejected from UPENN she says, “Was the best thing that ever happened to her”. Since attending Howard, Keely has had a rollercoaster experience filled with pandemic and protest. Through it all, she loves the school and couldn’t be happier with her decision. This past summer, Keely completed a virtual internship with CNN, where she was able to bolster her journalism skills and publish 6(!) articles.
Recorded: 11.6.21
