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MCCC
Grad To Speak About Civil Strife in Africa Feb. 8
1/17/07
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MCCC grad Emmanuel
Clarke ('02) of Lawrenceville will present a lecture on his experiences
growing up in war-torn Africa, a time he vividly recalls in his
recently published novel, "In Tears and Blood." The lecture,
entitled "Beating the Odds," takes place at MCCC
on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 12 noon. It is offered free to the public
as part of Mercer's Distinguished Lecture Series and will be held
on the college's West
Windsor campus in the Communications Building, CM110, 1200 Old
Trenton Road.
Clarke is a
true citizen of the world. Now 29, he was born in Liberia and lived
in several countries while escaping civil strife. He and his family
spent time in a Sierra Leone refugee camp, fled to Guinea, and eventually
made their way to America in 1999. On the long and arduous road
to this country, Clarke learned French, and eight different African
dialects. "You have to program your brain to adapt; that is
the only way you survive as a refugee," he said.
Clarke's
father died young; his mother advised him to get a good education
in America. "When we came here, Mom said, 'I don't have money
to give you; the only thing you can do is get yourself educated,'"
he recalled. His first choice was Mercer County Community College,
where he found the help he needed to adjust to a new language and
a new country. "I loved it the moment I saw Mercer. The staff
is awesome, friendly." Clarke majored in Information Technology
and earned a certificate in Project Management as well. "Everything
I ever learned at Mercer has been useful."
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Author
and MCCC grad Emmanuel Clarke will discuss his experiences in war-torn
Africa on Feb. 8. He is pictured with his recently published book
"In Blood and Tears."
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After
transferring almost 70 Mercer credits to the New Jersey Institute of Technology,
Clarke earned his bachelor's degree, and is now taking classes toward
his M.B.A. He works as a management information specialist for a large
nonprofit organization, with responsibilities including programming, website
and database management, and security. He has also started an information
technology consulting business called ATEC Microsystems. He offers web
applications, networking and security.
Clarke
has returned to Mercer as an adjunct instructor. He also serves on an
MCCC advisory commission for information technology, offering advice about
workplace needs and trends. "I love the teaching environment. I always
encourage students to cultivate their own sense of balance and have a
good work ethic," Clarke said. He tells his students what he himself
now knows: "What they learn today will take them a long way. All
knowledge you gain is useful in one way or another."
To
learn about future lectures, click
here or email: burgessw@mccc.edu.
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