For Gyude Moore, Berea was a bridge out before it was a bridge in, through, or out again. When fleeing Liberia’s civil war, young Gyude had no idea he would one day return to his home country and become its Minister of Public Works, directing social services, health, markets, and transportation infrastructure.

The road back home comes with stops at Berea College, Georgetown University’s Edward A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and the United Nations. A political science and economics major while at Berea, Gyude credits his liberal arts education as preparation for challenging the powers that keep various social groups in the margins of society.

“There is something quintessentially American about Berea,” he said. “It demands you ask questions, that you do not accept things simply as they are. When I went back home, I was different.”

Gyude’s incredible journey is available in more detail in the Berea College Magazine.