It is a monumental moment in Ojai Valley School history, and the weight of the entire community lies squarely on his shoulders.
He takes a deep breath and steps up… the kick is good!
The crowd goes wild as Ousmane Fofana has solidified himself in OVS lore, scoring the first points in the history of the school’s football program. At 43 yards, the kick still stands as the longest field goal in OVS history, a record that will likely stand until the end of time.
Mr. Fofana was an OVS legend as a student, but he now returns to the school in a new role.
This past June, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees. His educational background and work experience will make him a powerful force on the Board’s International Affairs Committee. He will also be a strong voice on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force.
“OVS means a great deal to me,” Mr. Fofana said. “The least I could do was to volunteer my time, energy, and focus steering the school in a direction that would appeal to young students from around the world.”
Mr. Fofana understands the difficulty of being an international boarding student, as he moved nearly 7,000 miles away from his home in Mali to attend high school at OVS. Yet, he said the familial nature of the OVS community made his transition easier, and from the time he arrived in 2006 he completely immersed himself in the school community.
He played on the football, soccer and baseball teams. Former OVS baseball and football coach Craig Floyd remembers Mr. Fofana as an energetic, happy student who was eager to get involved. Even after graduating in 2009, Mr. Fofana has remained in contact with many of his high school friends.
He completed his undergraduate education at Howard University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics. He then earned his Master’s degree from the Edward A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
“Attending one the highest ranked worldwide programs for international affairs with some
of the smartest individuals I have ever encountered was initially intimidating but it was a
challenge I enjoyed,” he explained.
Mr. Fofana, who works in Washington, D.C. and lives in Maryland with his wife, Miku, now serves as the Senior Program Officer for the Impact Malaria program of Population Services International.
Mr. Fofana said he chose to work for that program because he wanted to make a difference in an issue that was close to him.
Growing up in Bamako, Mali, he contracted Malaria several times. In 2019, there were 219 million cases of malaria worldwide, resulting in over 400,000 deaths. Malaria is also the leading cause of death and sickness in Sub-Saharan Africa, mostly killing children under the age of 5.
“With such glaring statistics,” Mr. Fofana explained, “it is my pleasure to be part of an organization that is making a strong and positive impact in its efforts towards the elimination of malaria.”
He also would like to get the OVS community involved in his efforts by possibly starting a yearly fund to purchase insecticide-treated bed nets, stating that these nets cost an average of $5 and can protect up to three children, yet most families cannot afford them.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are also issues that are on the radar for Mr. Fofana, as well as others on the board and in the school’s administration.
It is important that all students at OVS feel welcome and seen, Mr. Fofana said. As a member of the board, he said he hopes to serve as a role model for all students, but especially for students of color so that they don’t feel so isolated.
“I joined the board to highlight and implement changes that would reassure students of black and brown color have a reference,” Mr. Fofana said.
A long-term commitment to diversity and inclusion is fundamentally the right thing to do for the school, and new Head of School Lars Kuelling believes fidelity to those principles will help OVS stay true to its philosophy of “helping students find wholeness, symmetry, and soundness of life.”
Mr. Fofana brings diversity in all its complexity. His lived experience provides a nuanced perspective to the board, while his recent experience at OVS will inject new energy.
“His passion for seeing OVS be its best and strongest self is an asset,” Mr. Kuelling said. “We are fortunate to have him join the Board.”
As Ojai Valley School enters a new age, Mr. Ousmane Fofana is excited to be a central force in making change in this community.
In addition to his roles on the board, he has also offered to assist with OVS admissions outreach in Japan as well as countries in Africa.
“He will be a tremendous contributor to the Board,” said Tracy Wilson, the school’s director of admission and advancement. “He understands the international student experience first hand and can really help us improve how we recruit and integrate new students to the school.”