“Everything happens for a reason,” Welde Dubar says. Welde came to the United States from Liberia when she was 10. She went to college planning to secure a human resource management degree at Concordia University. When she was asked to volunteer her time at an event for kids and families, however, her life shifted. “I changed my major and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in early child development.”
Thanks to her willingness to say “yes” to volunteer opportunities, Welde became a “go-to” mom at an after school program at her son’s school. “I told myself that if I have the opportunity to change things and help people relate to others, I would definitely do it.”
One of her son’s teachers, Sue Strom, saw a spark in Welde. Sue asked her to help with a cultural studies initiative so students could learn to honor and understand each other’s cultures. Welde responded with an enthusiastic, “Yeah, my son and I can tell you all about Liberia.” Welde became a guest speaker and brought food from her culture to feed 26 kids in an after-school program. She volunteered for the next five weeks and, as a result of her being there, other immigrant parents chose to share their gifts and worldly experiences in the classroom as well.
Spurred by the aligning efforts of Interfaith Outreach and the Wayzata and Orono School Districts, anchor partners in Great Expectations, Welde was also asked to be a part of PEAK – a Parent University, one of the programs aligned with the Great Expectations Initiative. Her role as a PEAK leader dovetailed beautifully with her job as an Intercultural Liaison in the Wayzata School District.
Thank you, Welde, for choosing to volunteer and share your gifts to enrich the lives of local families and kids.