Name: Kadidiatou Magassa

Recipient Year: 2021|2020

Major: MPA Development Practice

Description: Kadidiatou (Kadi) Magassa was born and raised in Harlem, New York City. She graduated from Southwestern University with a B.A. in International Studies (Disciplinary: Political Science and Region Focus: Africa). Less than a year after graduation, she began her service with the Peace Corps, where she served in Senegal, West Africa as a Preventive Health Volunteer (2 years) and Multimedia and Communications Coordinator (1 year). After returning to the U.S. from Senegal she worked as a Domestic Violence Case Manager at Sauti Yetu Center for African Women and Families and then at the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ). Before leaving HCZ in February 2021, she worked as the Interim Assistant Director for a parenting program, the Baby College. She graduated from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) with a MPA in Development Practice (MPA-DP) in May 2022. At SIPA, she focused on “decolonizing” the development structure through enhanced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

School Name: Columbia University

Sponsor: Foundation for Intelligent Giving|Afshin Riaz Future Leaders Scholarship

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magassak/