That was more than good enough to meet The City University admission standards. He chose Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) "because, as a student coming from a foreign country, it just seemed to be the right place to be."

Traore graduated in three semesters while also taking courses at Hunter College. Diplomas in hand, he was hired as a project coordinator by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a non-profit group that evaluates economic aid programs.

Returning to the U.S. and a second masters

Traore flew back to West Africa, where he would spend the next two and a half years. Based in Mali, he was responsible for assessing agricultural development initiatives.

Eventually, he decided to return to school to pursue a second masters -- this one in public policy. "I thought back to my time at BMCC and all the help I was given here," he says. "Now I wanted to give back."

To get the training he'd need, Traore applied to public policy programs at Harvard and was accepted. He's on track to graduate in June 2012.

Traore gets mentored by BMCC's Cynthia Wiseman

At BMCC, Traore's anchor and main resource was Cynthia Wiseman, a professor in the Developmental Skills department.

"Professor Wiseman always made time for her students," Traore says. "She knew each of us by name, and was available to help and advise us whenever we needed."

Ambitious plans

"Nohoum is a special person -- extremely focused, hard-working and adept at breaking down a complicated task into different parts and getting it done," Wiseman says.

When he completes his studies at Harvard next year, Traore plans to return to his profession -- ideally in the developing world.

"I'd prefer to go to Mali, but the important thing is to be useful and to learn," he says.  "I will go anywhere I feel I can add value.

SOURCE Borough of Manhattan Community College