A Title Wave: One Man's Journey to Bring About Change

In my pursuit for individuals who have truly had a positive impact in all facets of their life, I think of one man who I consider a mentor and friend – Francis Kalombo Ngoy. His journey started in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo where he was born. After moving to the United States, Francis attended Oyster Bay High School in Long Island, New York. From there, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Religion from Denison University in Ohio in 2019. His passion for civic engagement, empathetic leadership, and public service led him to serve as an elected class Senator and the first African male Student Body President. During his time as president, he ensured systematic equity at Denison and cultivated a love for serving his community.

After his successful years at Denison, he began teaching ninth graders through the AmeriCorps-City Year Miami program. After Miami, he found himself in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. where he received Human Rights Education Training and Business Etiquette Consultancy from the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights. Francis gravitated towards D.C. because he saw it as a hub of change and new ideas. While in D.C. he joined the National Coalition of Homelessness (NCH) as the National Director for the Bring America Home NOW Campaign and the Director of Community Organizing. Currently, he is preparing to go on a national bus tour to all of the battleground states, where he will educate Americans on their right to vote and who exactly they are voting for. His training and expert work in serving all communities makes him the perfect candidate to be a Wavemaker.

While speaking to Francis on how anyone, including you, can make a significant impact in their community, he emphasized four main components: “the youth are the leaders of today and tomorrow”, be open to learning from mentors, always take the first step towards your goals, and do not be discouraged by failure. These four components, he believes, build a resilient future for America, and cultivates an active youth that will bring about any change they see fit.

While many people say that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow, Francis believes that they are the leaders of today. Anyone can see how they are passionate about what they believe in. Once the youth comes together to speak their mind, anything is possible. Francis draws inspiration from the youth because of their ability to come together as a generation and advocate for what they believe in. Francis believes “young people are the change makers,” and countless movements, like the Civil Rights Movement, prove this. It has been shown in history that when young people come together and believe in something, change is not just possible, but guaranteed. In Francis’ line of work, he sees firsthand how young people are making changes and how people actually listen. That is why he wants to see young people in positions of power because when they are given the opportunity to make a change, they do.

Francis believes that putting young people in positions of power offers diverse opinions that trickle down to the rest of the world; however, without proper mentorship those ideas will never be communicated effectively. In order to effectively make a change any young person must be open to advice from older, more experienced, individuals. As my mentor, he has given me outstanding advice that has only helped me effectively bring about change. Anyone can give out advice, even someone you do not consider a mentor, but acting on that advice is the only way to realize your goals no matter what they are.

Making a change and starting a revolution are completely different, and Francis notes that the most successful youth are the ones who take the first step. It may seem like a daunting task but the second you take that first step a burden is lifted off of your shoulders. He has seen many people fail to realize their goal because they are scared of failure. His advice for making the first step easier is to break up your goal into small, achievable sections with dedicated dates for completion. Then it just becomes a series of easy tasks and before you know it you have made a change.

Lastly, failure is not always a bad thing and is often a source of learning. Many people refuse to start towards a goal because of a fear of failing, but failure means you have learned something and that when you start again you have new knowledge. Francis has told me that before he got to where he is now he has failed numerous times, but instead of internalizing that failure he saw it as a lesson and grew from it. Maintaining a positive mindset about failure will make the next step easier because you will never be starting from zero. No matter how many times you fail, you will never be at the same place you started from. Any one goal might seem daunting in totality, but without proper guidance and passion achieving that goal becomes a distant dream.

Ultimately, Francis Kalombo Ngoy has made an impact wherever he has found himself and his positive impact ripples to all walks of life, even me. He emphasizes that achieving any singular goal requires proper preparation, and the same logic applies to any movement, whether national or local. In my mind, he is the perfect candidate for a WaveMaker because he has made a positive impact no matter where he goes and continues to do so. As is present in today’s world, national protests are at every turn and they are powered by a passionate youth who demands a change. This change cannot be realized without powerful mentors who encourage first steps to be taken without being fearful of the possibility of failure. Francis is more than my mentor, he is my friend and his advice has proven to be successful for me. Making waves is not something that everyone can do, but Francis has a unique talent to bring smiles and a change wherever he finds himself.