This Fall, Wantoe, a Liberian has the distinguish honor of selecting from the some of the world’s most competitive and prestigious Ivy league institutions due to his academic hard work, determination, and decades of leadership. We are thrilled to Congratulate Wantoe T. Wantoe on his accomplishment of a full-time admission offer at the University of Oxford Blavatnik School of Government for a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and with a placement at Pembroke College. We also celebrate his odd defining admission to the University of Columbia SIPA, for a concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy concentration, an offer at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and an admission offer at the NYU Wagner’s MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy program.
Wantoe current success is a tip of his longstanding symbolic work of global leadership, humble beginning, and bravery to redefine his harsh reality of life. Losing both parents and his socioeconomic status didn’t dissuade him from aiming for the highest possible academic ambition but rather inspire him. Born during the civil war to a Grand Cape Mount County native Gbassay Sambollah, his mother of a Muslim faith and a Nimbanian Samuel Diakeseh Wantoe a Christian, Wantoe reality shows an emblem of diverse culture and religious heritage. He is a first-generation student from a very low socioeconomic family structure. He found true inspiration in the reality of his mother who was denied an opportunity to be educated due to the existing patriarchal and traditional culture that promoted boy’s education. This sad fate has inspired him to be a staunch advocate for women and girls right. He has since realized that fighting for quality and inclusive education and justice is a pathway for all women and girls to be vigorous, robust, and vigilant on defending their rights and ending the systemic oppression they face. Wantoe believe that embracing diversity must be a continental commitment. Ensuring girls’ right to education and protection from marginalization have been a mission due to his mother reality and the circumstances of many girls and women in Liberia. His undergraduate education came to an actuality through the support of Smart Liberia, Lift Liberian Scholar Program and going on to be awarded a Presidential Scholarship after a year of undergraduate studies by the College of Mount Saint Vincent covering him fully.
Wantoe rose from being a student to fighting for systemic change. His contribution to global development landed him in decades of leading solution for sustainable change. In 2014, he and his colleagues took responsibility for documenting the violations of over 785 orphaned and neglected children during the Ebola outbreak through the Global Voice for change project, defense for children international Liberia and Plan International Liberia subsequently earning his invite from the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Stephen O’Brien Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinators as the youngest preliminary speaker of the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit. There, in Istanbul, he spoke on behalf of West Africa Countries, generating over 3,000 commitments to action and over a dozen new partnerships to end the Ebola outbreak and for combating humanitarian disasters. His commitment has earned me multiple international recognitions from the U.N, Princess Diana, Friendship Ambassador Foundation, The College of Mount Saint Vincent among several. In September 2019, he led a draft committee statement on the official U.N civil society statement on Samoa Pathway at the General Assembly. In his role as Co-Director of the Millennium Fellowship Project, Phins for Change, he advocated for climate action and hosted a multi-campus event with 150 campus directors and more peers across 80 countries on awareness for climate action. He currently serves as a Youth Representative Steering member to the Department of Global Communication United Nations Civil Society Unit. At his current undergraduate college, his service has earned him multiple opportunities for leadership growth. Wantoe highlight includes delivering a platform getting Rev Al Sharpton and Kentucky state representative Attica Scott to enlighten students during the heat of the George Floyd, Briana Taylor death and Ahmaud Arbery death to meeting Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and earning multiple student leadership awards. He is both a certified 2019 President Obama Foundation Leadership Asset and Dialogue Alumni and a 2021, President Reagan Institute’s Leadership and the American Presidency (LTAP) Alumni.
This is well earned and accomplishment from Wantoe and Liberia should be proud!