By: Bradley Morrison, Features Writer 

Morehouse College has completed another successful New Student Orientation (NSO) week. The class of ’27 has officially transitioned from admitted students to full-fledged men of Morehouse. Students from all around the world have traveled to Morehouse College to be a part of the largest incoming class. 

One such student is Joseph Leborgne, a third-year student attending Sciences Po University in Paris, France. He currently studies political science with plans to become an urban planner in either France or America.  

It is mandatory for students attending Sciences Po to study abroad during their third year. With over 1000 options in schools across the world, the decision to attend Morehouse was surprisingly not difficult. 

“I do not speak Spanish so I was not able to go to South America,” Leborgne said. “Even though German is the secondary language in France, my German is not the best so Germany was not an option either.” 

Through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), he was able to receive a scholarship to attend Morehouse for the fall semester.  Morehouse stood out to Leborgne as HBCUs do not exist in France. He was always enticed by Atlanta’s culture and upon more research into Morehouse’s sociology and economics program. The decision was a no-brainer. 

The NSO Experience was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Leborgne enjoyed learning about Morehouse’s history and connecting with his brothers in Graves Hall. 

“It made me feel like I was part of a brotherhood,” he said. “It felt like you couldn’t become a man of Morehouse without going through new student orientation.”

The Parent Parting Ceremony was his favorite part of NSO Week. While going to America was bittersweet because it was his first time traveling without his parents or friends, he believes it was essential for his personal growth. “Now I’m an adult, and I have to act like one,” Leborgne said. “Despite the fact that my parents were not present, it was a very emotional moment.” 

His experience in America has been opposite to his time in France. According to Leborgne, the French have a “colorblind approach” to race and racial discrimination. Due to a shortage of studies on race, French citizens are uninformed of the rates at which people of color are detained and searched by police, as well as the rates of workplace and housing discrimination. Leborgne hopes to use his experiences this semester to increase racial awareness in France. “The fact that I’m finally here at Morehouse makes me feel like I can accomplish anything,” he explained.

Unfortunately, ISEP only lasts a semester, and he will have to return to Europe in the spring to complete an internship. This has left Leborgne with a bucket list of things to do before leaving the United States. “I want to have the full American experience,” he said. “I’m thinking about going to Walmart or Waffle House. I’m determined to make the most of this semester abroad.”

Leborgne is grateful for his time at Morehouse and looks forward to the surprises that the semester will bring him. He hopes that the bonds he has formed within the AUC will remain once he returns to France and promises to do whatever he can to attend the class of 2027’s graduation. 

Copy Edited by: Elijah Megginson Features Editor