About Me

My name is Gladys Mwilelo and I am a student from Central Connecticut State University. I’m a senior studying Strategic communication.

A little bit about myself, I am originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and I was raised in Burundi.

I was 14 years old when I moved to Connecticut.  I did not speak English at the time. I was new to the country and to the city of New Haven where I live, I didn’t know what to expect, but I had to adapt to what has come in my way in order to adjust to my new life.

I was welcomed by IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services), which was there to support me and introduce me to my new home of which I knew nothing about. They helped my younger siblings and I enroll in school, which where my journey to the promise land began.

With the help from IRIS, I was able to start my freshman year of school at Wilbur Cross High School, a place where I felt like my dreams were coming true. I graduated from Wilbur Cross High School in 2017.

The journey to promise land of higher education has to continue flourishing. After graduating from high school, I applied to Central Connecticut State University. I didn’t get accepted right away with my low SAT scores. I was given a second chance to attend the EOP (Educational Opportunity Program). I took the second chance with open arms and attended the program for five weeks. Now, I am proud to be a Blue Devil student.

In the future, It is my hope to use my degree to not only provide a career path for myself but also to connect people and foster respectful communication.