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" My formal speaking career began before a group of 10 third-graders. We drew pictures of my home in Rwanda. I told them about my mother's huge garden and our mango tree. The lessons I taught were simple. Play nicely. Take care of plants. Take care of people. "

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" As a child growing up in refugee camps, life taught me that many things were impossible. My older sister, Claire, taught me otherwise when her strength and resilience made the impossible possible in the way she worked, behaved, and took control of our lives. "

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" To the young girl who fails to see opportunities around her: Awaken the intellectual curiosity within you. Go on, search for those opportunities and chase after them! Because when you are curious and in 'search mode,' you will meet a lot of people and learn, and when you find opportunities, you will be exhilarated rather than overwhelmed. "

" I am thankful to those who've listened to my story over and over as well as those who've helped me share it. For me, the act of storytelling is an act of healing. "

" I'm open to everything. Take me anywhere, show me everything. "

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" Like many American millennials, an 8th grade field trip first brought me into contact with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "

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" If we believe that a person seeking refuge is to be pitied, feared, despised, and looked down upon, we are doing ourselves a disservice. "

" All that I have achieved has been possible not only because of my own strength and perseverance, gained through hardship, but also through other people's support and belief in me. "

" The world is part of us, and we are part of the world. Even through the smallest acts, we can demonstrate that. I believe in the human spirit, in the kindness in all of us, and I am hopeful for this world. "

" It has taken me so many years to finally be in my bed and fall asleep for six hours. "

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" I never thought that being a public speaker would teach me so much about life and make it so beautiful as well. "

Clemantine Wamariya

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" Children tell the truth. "

" The idea of somebody suffering is really painful to every human. In our collective language, we all too often see those who are suffering as a victim to be pitied, to be feared, and even sometimes to be despised. I want to redirect that narrative. "

" Growing up, many of us are taught to place limits on what we can accomplish while on earth. We tend to think of things in binary form: either as possible or, more frequently, impossible. "

" Never allow other people to classify you based on your past and current circumstances, where you were born, your experiences, your gender, or your race. "

" I truly hope readers learn to believe in their imaginations and their ability to shape their own lives. That's what 'The Girl Who Smiled Beads' means to me. "

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" When you receive an education, you pass it on. "

" One of my fondest memories growing up in Rwanda was seeing everyone participating in community-building activities. This happened every Saturday at the end of month. People work together in cleaning streets, planting trees, and take care of each other by facilitating productive conversations and actions that are beneficial for the society. "

" Being kind to myself helped me deal with people who thought less of me and thought they were better than me. "

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" I want people to know that they are the masters, the queens, kings, and gods of their own story. "

" Labels and classifications of any type are not law, nor are they written in stone. It's up to us to be aware of this and confront it and break through it by doing things that shock and surprise people because they thought we could never achieve at that level. "

" My Chicago is beautiful and diverse. It was able to give me all parts of the world all in one. "

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" My day-to-day varies. I do some public speaking. I talk to school groups. "

" I'm still coping with my trauma, but coping by trying to find different ways to heal it rather than hide it. "

" I am not a refugee. I sought refuge for many years, but the word 'refugee' does not define me. It just limits me and puts me in a box. "

" I'm not a victim - I'm a survivor of hunger, of hate, of different injustices that humans are facing today. "

" I hate light... I feel like at night, it's safer. If anything happens, there's a way to hide at night. Another thing I hate about light is it reminds me about being in a refugee camp and being outside. "

Clemantine Wamariya

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" If you want to learn about the history of a people, eat their food and drink their beverages. "

" Set goals but be flexible. "

" There are millions of people, refugees, who have experienced the same conflicts and struggles I did. They have the same potential to defy the odds and achieve great things. "

" I was six years old when the conflict started in Rwanda. "