Paula Mate
Class of 2003
From helpless to hopeful . . .
“Even as young as age seven, I remember that my heart hungered for learning. Growing up in Maputo, Mozambique, where young girls and women in general continue to face enormous social, ethical, and cultural obstacles, made me realize that there was something bigger that I could do to make a difference in my country.
“When I listened to missionaries speak English, I knew that I wanted to go to school where I could learn English from native speakers. I was helpless and did not know how I could get out of the country to get higher education. Eventually, I applied to and was accepted into an American college in another state, but soon after I enrolled there, I encountered situations that were not what I expected at a Christian school.
“When American friends of the missionaries to Mozambique visited me to check on me, they sensed my distress and unhappiness and brought me to visit Trevecca. At Trevecca I found a school that is not simply Christian in name only; it is a place where Christian integrity is part of all that is here. During my years as a Trevecca student and now as a Trevecca employee, I have been able to learn from and work with persons who are caring and supportive, and through them I have seen God work in my life.
“Africa needs more education and educators. Training opportunities for young girls are very limited. Whether I am in the States for 10 or 15 years, my calling is to go back to my homeland and empower young women to know themselves and maximize their life choices. Trevecca has been a driving force in leading me and empowering me to achieve my dreams and goals, and I want to help empower others.
“I came halfway around the world to obtain an education that fulfilled my childhood dream; I want to take what I have learned at Trevecca and someday return to Mozambique in order to help girls there fulfill their childhood dreams. I do not think that I will be able to open a school like Oprah has, but I know that I want to give something back to other young girls who are like I was.”
Paula, of Maputo, Mozambique, majored in computer information systems at Trevecca and then earned an M.A. in information systems from Middle Tennessee State University. She is continuing graduate work in library science and is the systems and acquisitions librarian for Trevecca’s Waggoner Library.
