Good Morning Reader,
I hope all is well and you are having a great Sunday. I am happy to share the newest episode on the Mentium Podcast.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Enjoy part 2 of the interview with Dr. Massene Mboup
Some leaders inspire from a stage.
Others inspire through a lifetime of service.
In this deeply personal episode of the Mentium Podcast, Madiama sits down with his longtime mentor and friend, Dr. Massene Mboup, to explore what authentic leadership truly looks like.
Born and raised in Senegal, Dr. Mboup shares his remarkable journey—from teaching in rural villages, leading one of Senegal’s most significant student movements, risking his life during a hunger strike for educational justice, to founding one of Oregon’s most respected international schools and serving as an elected City Council member.
More importantly, he reveals the values that guided every decision:
- Justice over comfort.
- Service over status.
- Love over recognition.
- Character over titles.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Mboup explains why education is “an act of love,” why leadership demands courage, and why every person has a responsibility to become the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
For Madiama, this conversation is especially meaningful because Dr. Mboup is the mentor who helped shape his confidence, identity, and leadership journey.
This is more than an interview.
It is a tribute to the lasting impact one leader can have on another life.
In This Episode
- Dr. Mboup’s childhood in Senegal
- Growing up with a passion for justice
- The student hunger strike that nearly cost him his life
- Why servant leadership requires sacrifice
- Justice as a leadership value
- Lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- The role of unconditional love in leadership
- Becoming an educator and why education is a political act
- Why “education is an act of love”
- Founding the International Leadership Academy
- Building one of Oregon’s most diverse schools
- Running for and serving on the Lake Oswego City Council
- Leadership beyond race, politics, and titles
- The Midnight Declaration that changed four young men’s lives
- Mentorship, legacy, and paying leadership forward
Memorable Quotes
“Education is an act of love.”
“Justice isn’t optional for a leader.”
“If your voice carries, use it for those whose voices cannot.”
“Leadership begins with decency.”
“The best seat is on the ground. The only direction people can ask you to move is up.”
“You cannot teach them if you don’t love them.”
“Dreaming is important, but knowing how to dream is even more powerful.”
About Dr. Massene Mboup
Dr. Massene Mboup is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the International Leadership Academy in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Originally from Senegal, he has spent more than forty years as an educator, leader, and advocate for children.
After beginning his teaching career in Senegal, he earned degrees in English, Linguistics, and Secondary Education before relocating to the United States. He later completed his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction Leadership at Portland State University.
Beyond education, Dr. Mboup serves on the Lake Oswego City Council and continues to champion educational equity, civic engagement, environmental stewardship, and servant leadership.
https://www.ilapdx.org
His life’s work reflects one simple belief:
When you change a child’s life, you change the future.
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