Attitude of Gratitude

8,700 miles and 18 hours on his first plane ride separate Bazil Mupisiri ’18 from his hometown in Zimbabwe. Yet, it’s the milestones, not the miles, that truly set this first-year student apart.

Bazil (pronounced Bay-zl) first learned about Grinnell through the U.S. Student Achievers Program (USAP), which provides access to higher education “for determined, bright, low-income youth, producing highly-skilled and liberally-educated leaders for tomorrow’s Zimbabwe.”

Education was a high priority for Bazil’s widowed mother, who teaches in a rural school. “My mother is my hero and greatest influence,” Bazil explains. “She placed great value on education and would often go without eating so we could go to school and learn. We had to grow our own food and save as much as we could. I became a serious student because of her.”

He also became serious about community service. 

“Charity events are very important to me. I started a club to assist those that might quit school otherwise. We offered opportunities for study help and to get them back in school. In my country, without education, there is no hope.

“I also started an environmental club, and we planted a school orchard that supplied fruit for the students. We coordinated with the town council to organize tree planting. It’s wonderful to see the trees grow.”

Bazil also worked to prevent HIV/AIDS and support children without parents because of the disease. “I loved making a difference in my community, and these experiences shaped my life.”

The prosecutor

His true passion, he says, is public speaking and debate.

“They called me ‘The Prosecutor’ because I like argument and busting opposing teams. I especially like discussing economic and political issues. Our [high school] team won the national championship in 2011 and 2012.”

Because of his interest in local issues, Bazil expects to get involved in student government and has already joined Model U.N.

IPOP surprise

Grinnell won Bazil over immediately. “My impression of this place started at the airport, where Jon and Karen Edwards were there to greet me. I thought ‘Wow! There is no college like this in Africa.’ I immediately fell in love with the small, quiet town. People here are so friendly; it’s so secure.”

Once on campus, Bazil was immersed in the International Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP) that precedes New Student Orientation for international and global nomad students. There he met his host family, David and Susan Willig, parents of Jacob Willig Onwuachi ‘95, physics. He was also greeted by his aunt from London, who supported his education after his father died.

“My aunt surprised me by coming to see me at IPOP. I had last seen her in 2005 when I was still in boarding school.  My host family, the Willigs, who are wonderful people, invited my aunt to dinner in their home.”

“When we first met Bazil,” Susan Willig relates, “he was high on all the excitement of his first plane ride, first time in the U.S. We had a student from China last year, so we expect to involve them both in our holidays and family dinners. Our grandchildren also get to be involved and expand their knowledge of different cultures.”

Generous, grateful

Although it’s early in his Grinnell career, Bazil feels confident that he will major in computer science and economics. “I want to be a software engineer, to design software and return home to implement,” he says. In the meantime, he’s taking full advantage of all that Grinnell has to offer, including his First-Year Tutorial, “New Worlds and Ancient Texts: Origins of Liberal Education in the Americas,” advised by Aysha Pollnitz, assistant professor of history.

“This tutorial has really changed my interest in history,” Bazil says. “I hated history in high school. Now I love it and will try to take another course, plus all of the others I want to take.”

While there is much for Bazil to experience before returning home to give back, there is much for Grinnell to learn from this first-year’s spirited enthusiasm for generosity and gratitude.