MEET OUR GRADUATES: Tracy Harnesses the Power of Passing it On

Gaie was born in Liberia but due to the civil war that broke out in 1990 fled the country with her parents at age three. She lived in Côte d’Ivoire until age 13, lived for a while in Ghana and then immigrated with her family to the United States at the age of 18. 

Over the years, Gaie married, gave birth to two daughters and enrolled at CCRI, where she earned an associate degree in liberal arts in 2016. That same year, she enrolled at Rhode Island College.

Gaie said the inspiration to build a school in Liberia came after her mother died. “My mother died in 2013 and came to me in a dream,” she said. “In this dream, she told me, ‘No matter how hard life gets, don’t quit school and always give back to those in need.’”

To carry out her mother’s wish, Gaie used the donations from her mother’s funeral totaling $5,000 and her own savings of $7,500 to found a school in Liberia. 

“My mother never learned to read and write but always encouraged others to go to school because she believed that once you’re educated you can have a great impact on society,” Gaie said.

She enlisted a contractor in Liberia to make blueprints for the school. Construction began in 2013. “I have a sister who lives there,” Gaie said, “and I would send her money to purchase building materials.”

To sustain her family and the school, Gaie works two jobs and plenty of overtime. She has also held three fundraisers in the Liberian community and took out a bank loan. Five years and $150,000 later, the school was completed in the fall of 2018. She named the school the Ghenyonnon Memorial Foundation. Currently, there are 101 children in attendance and 15 teachers. Gaie pays for the teachers’ salaries and school supplies. She is now in the process of adding a second floor to the building for a middle and high school.

Looking back, Gaie said, “There were days I would come to school at RIC and want to give up,” she said. “My GPA was going down, and I said, ‘I can’t do everything.’ And then a voice came telling me, ‘You can make it. Don’t give up.’ And here I am today.”

​Because of the opportunities afforded her as a refugee, Gaie is passing it on, not only in Liberia but here in Rhode Island. She recently completed a six-month internship (a requirement for her major) at Dorcas International Institute, the only agency in Rhode Island able to resettle refugees arriving in the United States. 

Dorcas provides housing, access to health care and education, and the necessary tools and information for refugees to successfully transition into their new communities. For the first six months after their arrival in America, Gaie’s family also attended classes at Dorcas International. Now, a​​s an intern, ​she acted as translator for French-speaking refugees and assisted the​ teacher in the classroom.

“Tracy is at her finest when she’s giving back to the community, whether through her school in Liberia or through her ​work in the community with refugees​. I am always deeply impressed by her humility and graciousness,” said Professor of Political Science Robyn Linde.

Along with a B.A. degree in psychology, Gaie graduates with two Certificates of Undergraduate Study – one in nonprofit organization studies and the other in international nongovernmental organization studies. Her goal is to work for the United Nations, assisting other refugees in Africa or anywhere in the world.

The Ghenyonnon Memorial Foundation website: http://ghenyonnon.org/