Clemantine Wamariya

I go around the country sharing my story. I aim to dare other people to go deep into their own stories and hope to inspire them to think about their own world and experiences. ”

Set goals but be flexible. ”

Sharing presumes and creates equality. ”

My day-to-day varies. I do some public speaking. I talk to school groups. ”

I am not a refugee. I sought refuge for many years, but the word 'refugee' does not define me. It just limits me and puts me in a box. ”

Being able to connect with other humans is something I've done since I was little. ”

Being kind to myself helped me deal with people who thought less of me and thought they were better than me. ”

My Chicago is beautiful and diverse. It was able to give me all parts of the world all in one. ”

I hate light... I feel like at night, it's safer. If anything happens, there's a way to hide at night. Another thing I hate about light is it reminds me about being in a refugee camp and being outside. ”

I was the most tired 11-year-old in the world. ”