Odelia Niangoran
Odelia Niangoran is a grade 11 student with dreams of becoming a Robotics engineer. She plans on attending university to study mechanical engineering and hopes to study abroad or participate in an exchange program. Although she is still unsure of the exact level of education she wants to pursue after high school, she hopes to teach in her field later in life. Odelia is from Cote d'Ivoire, a Francophone country in West Africa. She came to Canada with her family at three years old and has been a Canadian citizen for nine years.
Odelia cannot attribute her love for the skin she wears to a single person as her journey includes varied mentors and impactful meetings. However, Florence Cole made her realize the importance of this journey. Odelia has loved being Ivorian for as long as she can remember and never wanted to change her nationality growing up. Yet, she did not always like the color of her skin. She felt uncomfortable, out of place, and as if she failed to meet expectations.Florence Cole, a Dark-Skin Black woman like Odelia, was the first person to make Odelia feel confident about being stereotypically Black. Odelia is an extrovert and loud, qualities Florence reminded her were strengths. Where Odelia saw fear, shame, and doubt, Florence saw pride and power. Seeing herself in Florence, Odelia learned to love these qualities in herself. She still doubts herself and questions whether she belongs in certain spaces, but overcoming her fears gives her strength to push forward. Serving her community as a TWC Youth Ambassador is a source of pride and joy for Odelia.
