When asked what brings him joy, Issouf Ouattara answers without hesitation – “family.” It is a simple answer that anyone might expect from the father of three boys, but hearing more of Issouf’s story reveals personal and professional sacrifices made to safeguard his family’s future, as well as his own.

For Issouf, those sacrifices were necessary given the unstable political climate and poverty that has plagued his home country of Burkina Faso, for decades. The decision to leave his homeland was compelling given his concern about his family’s future; however, the act of immigrating to the United States was challenging and even overwhelming at times.

An established lawyer in the banking industry back home, Issouf was forced to abandon his career and leave his family behind for an undetermined amount of time to establish himself in the U.S. Though difficult, the tradeoff – a safe home base for his family and a new career path – far outweighed those initial challenges.

“It was the best decision possible at the time,” Issouf said. “The possibility of growth for those who really want to grow is there. Is it easy? No – but there is a way.”

For Issouf, that path included some luck and a lot of hard work. He first applied for a diversity visa in 2008. A system somewhat predicated on luck of the draw, it took a while to work in Issouf’s favor. After three attempts, his application was approved, and he put his plan for a brighter future into action. He first set foot on American soil in 2010.

A lot has happened since then.

Nearly 14 years has passed since Issouf moved to Vermont. He restarted his career from the bottom up, learned English, and established a secure new home life for his wife and three children.

The biggest obstacle was the language. “I had to work on the language barrier first,” said Issouf, who is a native French speaker. “English was difficult for me, so that held me back.”

Issouf was determined to succeed, seeing each new challenge as an opportunity. He enrolled in ESL classes through Vermont Adult Learning, started classes at CCV, and began work at UVM in 2011 as a custodian – all with the intention of reunifying his family in the Green Mountain State. 

Once Issouf was settled in his own apartment in Vermont, the family was finally reunited in 2016. With his English much improved and a steady job at UVM, Issouf pushed forward. He pursued and received a master’s degree in public administration from UVM. He also continued to work his way up from custodian and supervisor in Custodial Services to his current position as a Kronos Processing Specialist. 

The ability to grow and change careers, in addition to taking classes at the university, is something he finds unique about working at UVM – and something for which he is grateful. “I realized that UVM was a place where if you have stable employment, you can study,” Issouf said of the generous tuition remission benefit the university offers full-time employees. 

Issouf can now confidently say he has made his mark at UVM. In 2023, he was one of 12 recipients of the President’s Our Common Ground Staff Award, an honor he believes is the most prestigious award a staff person can receive. 

“These are core values that make someone a decent human being, whether it's with their family, their community [or] work,” Issouf said. “Being recognized, I feel I am on the right path.”

Issouf views the Our Common Ground tenets of respect, integrity, innovation, openness, justice, and responsibility as words deeply embedded within his core being.

“I see them as pieces of the same puzzle, pieces of the same body,” Issouf said, adding that the values are evident in the interactions he has with a campus community that is prioritizing, and growing its work in diversity and inclusion. 

In addition to his graduate degree and career path at UVM, Issouf sees great value in the opportunity to share his knowledge and his story. “In 12 years, I have gotten three awards [at UVM]; I couldn’t see that happening before I got here,” he said.  His other awards include the Diversity Initiative Award, and the Dimock MPA Award while he was a in the graduate program. “UVM offers growth for those who want to grow,” he said.

Regarding his own story, Issouf remains humble. “At some point you realize that yes, I'm on track and I’m having some positive impact in the community, the workplace, and  academically too – and those are the biggest moments that I can't forget.”

Even with his own successes to celebrate, Issouf is proudest of setting an example for his three boys (ages 6, 14, and 23).  “They have a bright future,” he said.

They also have a distinguished role model – their father.