For Phoofolo, generosity begets generosity

Mpinane “Penni” Phoofolo lists Stillwater as her hometown but she was born in the tiny African country of Lesotho.

In Lesotho, the sophomore economics major said, “even your second cousin is family.”

That is why one of her career goals is to send money to her loved ones in the country surrounded on all sides by South Africa. Her mother, Ithabeleng, and 2-year-old brother, Bryan Morienyane, still live in Lesotho. Phoofolo plans to follow the example of her father, Mpho, and provide assistance for not only her immediate family but also other loved ones.

“I plan to, when I get a job, start sending money to my grandmom, my uncles and aunts and my cousins – the relatives who are closer to me,” Phoofolo said.

Her father sends money for his wife, son, mother, mother-in-law and siblings.

Thanks to the Clarence and Beulah Roberts President’s Distinguished Scholarship, Phoofolo is well on her way to establishing a career that will allow her to be equally generous.

Scholarships have allowed Phoofolo to be active on campus while staying connected to her heritage, serving as the cultural coordinator for the African Student Organization. The PDS is the biggest of her four scholarships, paying $2,200 per year for four years. Because of the generosity of the Roberts family, Phoofolo is able to focus on her studies and extracurriculars, neither working nor taking on debt.

“Right now (Mpho) doesn’t have to pay for anything because I have all my expenses paid for,” Phoofolo said. “Now he can think about my family instead of my education.”

Phoofolo’s goal of supporting her relatives is not the only way she is following in her father’s footsteps. He was the first in his family to go to college. In fact, his relatives sacrificed so Mpho could finish even high school. They needed someone to work, so Mpho’s older brother, Ceabata, quit school to get a job. Mpho would come home and teach Ceabata what he learned each day.

“I learned from (Mpho) because he sacrificed a lot in life,” Phoofolo said.

After graduating in 2011, she plans to attend law school. And it is because of the generosity of donors like the Roberts family she has such opportunities.