CULTURAL ENVOY Future ambassador from Madagascar
RANJAVOLA ANDRIAMANANA, Albuquerque High School
W hen Ranjavola Andriamanana came to the United States at age 13 from her native Madagascar, “I couldn’t speak a word of English,” she says.
She enrolled in English as a Second Language classes, was quickly moved to regular English, and by 11th grade was in advanced placement English. Along the way, she picked up Spanish.
Despite the initial language barrier, Andriamanana has been an outstanding student at Albuquerque High School, where she is a member of National Honor Society, Black Student Union, DECA and the culinary arts group.
She has been an active volunteer, tutoring elementary schoolchildren, packaging food at Storehouse pantry, helping senior citizens with home chores, and “adopting” economically disadvantaged children and providing them with Christmas presents and food.
As a volunteer last summer at the International Folk Arts Market in Santa Fe, she says, “I met artists from all around the world. Most couldn’t speak English, but I could speak French and Arabic. I really liked mingling with the different cultures because I am from a different culture myself.”
That led her to decide to study international affairs and work for an international organization like the United Nations or UNICEF, she says.
Ultimately, says Andriamanana, 17, she’d like to be the ambassador to the U.N. from Madagascar. “I want to make a contribution to my country and my people. It sounds like a cliché, but I guess I’m one of those people.”