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Student - Linda Mutwol '10

Linda Mutwol '10
Kenya
“Thunderbird will provide the necessary business skills to allow me to compete globally, and the global affairs segment will deepen my understanding of issues in development, providing strategies on how to combat them.”


Linda Mutwol '10

When she was a teenager, Linda Mutwol ’10 visited the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, witnessing firsthand the dismal conditions of the Sudanese refugee population living there.

The image left a lasting impression.

“The Sudan is a troubled country and as a Kenyan, I grew up learning about the issues between the North and South, religious differences and marginalization,” explains the 23-year-old whose father is a former member of Kenya’s Parliament and assistant minister.

Mutwol says she saw the influence that politicians like her father had. And, given her own personal interest in human rights – particularly underprivileged women – she determined at an early age that she wanted to use policy to affect change.

“I believe in correcting unjust situations and creating opportunities for all people regardless of ethnicity, race or gender,” says Mutwol, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University’s pre-law program.

While studying at ASU, Mutwol traveled to Uganda to conduct a study on empowerment strategies for Sudanese women who would soon be repatriated from refugee camps. She interviewed members of the United Nations, Catholic Social Services, local organizations and Sudanese refugees in both Gulu and Arizona.

“My research showed a strong correlation between education and development,” explains Mutwol. “One of the best ways to empower Sudanese women is to provide them with the opportunity to go to school.”

It’s an opportunity Mutwol cherishes, herself. “I did not feel like I was ready for law school after ASU, and Thunderbird’s curriculum, which offers cross-training on international business and global affairs, was appealing.” Thunderbird's Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management, she says, has done an excellent job of preparing her for business and law school.

After gaining two to three years of field experience with women in developing countries, Mutwol plans to continue on to law school where she’ll focus on international human rights law.

“I want to start an NGO that will focus on the empowerment of women on three levels: education, legal rights and entrepreneurship. I want to use policy as a tool for shaping the future of Sudanese women.”

Thunderbird’s cross-cultural communications classes, she says, have already helped her develop negotiation strategies, and interaction with a diverse student body has given her a chance to practice her French.

Mutwol says she’d be remiss if she didn’t credit her No. 1 consultant, though. “My mother shares in my ambition and is the best consultant there is. She’s an inspiration, having picked herself up from living in a politically affluent life in Kenya to being a single mother of five in the United States.” Most importantly, Mutwol says, is that her mom encourages her to go back to Kenya to apply her new knowledge and change lives.