Profile

Miami University student Reis Thebault traveled to South Africa in the summer of 2014 to experience
a different way of life and a new culture.
While volunteering at the Pietermaritzburg YMCA, Thebault did not know he would become emotionally connected with the students.
Thebault, a 21-year-old from Michigan, said he wanted to experience life without his parents. Thebault
had traveled many times, but never without his family.
I wanted to travel and write but I hadnt really done both on my own, Thebault said. It was a good
and interesting experience to experience on my own.
Thebaults girlfriend Emily Tate traveled with him. While there, they worked with young, disadvantaged youth at the Y, many of which were living on the streets. Thebault and Tate taught computer classes and
enjoyed watching their students thrive in the classroom.

Some of them typed out little messages to us like Thank you for taking the time to teach us, Reis and
Emily or We love you, Reis and Emily, Tate said. Its a far more rewarding endeavor when it seems that
not only are they gaining something from our time with them, but they are appreciative of it.
The two travelers became especially fond of one student in particular, Langa, a 24-year-old male student at the Y.
Langa demonstrated the desire to go to college and set himself a part from everyone else, Thebault

said. He had a job that paid a couple cents a day, didnt do drugs and always had a smile on his face.
After multiple interactions with Langa, Thebault said he considered starting a scholarship fund to help
send youth to higher education. Thebault talked to the YMCA director and found the equivalent of $900 would
get Langa through two years of vocational college.
We could raise that much money easily back home, Thebault said. So lets do it.

Thebault, a Journalism and Individualized Studies double major, came back to Miami for fall semester

and registered for a Social Entrepreneurship class, ESP 464.

This class forced me to get all my thoughts together and really start thinking about what we could actually do, he said.
The main assignment for the class pitching and piloting a social venture proved itself to be exactly the right mechanism to jumpstart Thebaults scholarship plan. Thebault and Tate formed a team of six, including senior Sarah Gootee and junior Garrett Gust, to pilot The Umngane Project to help get kids like Langa
off the street and into schools across South Africa.
Gust, another individualized studies major, said he has had a great experience working with Reis.
Reis has taken his vision from concept to reality and has not wavered a single step of the way, said
Gust. He is the kind of person that thinks for himself and his attitude for success is infectious.
With Thebaults leadership, his group has gone above and beyond what is expected. Their team has
designed business cards and made colored bracelets to mimic the South African flag, to turn their class project
into something real and meaningful.
Marketing major Gootee said even though she and her group have not had the hands on experience
such as Thebault, his enthusiasm motivates all of the teammates to have the same passion.
Reis is an extremely passionate and hard worker that puts eagerness in his work, Gootee said.
Throughout this project, it is evident in how much he cares to make a difference in the world and the educa-

tion efforts within South Africa.

Thebault said they have raised $400 since they began selling a few weeks ago, which equates to selling
about 80 bracelets.
Thebault and his group members are currently working to raise the $900 for Langa to go to college.
They hope to achieve their goal at the end of the semester.

It is truly more than just a class project I want it to be more than a class project, Thebault said.

This idea started before this class and it will be something that continues after this class.