Hello!  My name is Christy Hall-Holt and I am pictured here with my two daughters at one of our favorite restaurants, Satay 2 Go. This is my second year at St. Olaf advising International Students.  I never dreamed I could enjoy my work so much!

I grew up in Accra, Ghana in West Africa from the age of 4 until I graduated from Ghana International School at age 17.  Before Ghana, I lived in both Nairobi, Kenya where I was born, and in Kampala, Uganda, both in Eastern Africa.  My heart and mind have been significantly molded by my childhood homes.  Sometimes I wish I looked as African on the outside as I feel on the inside!

After graduating, I took a gap year and applied to colleges in the U.S.  In the end, I decided to attend the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis where I knew I would get to be around many international students!  As a junior I studied for a year at the University of Strasbourg in France.  This was a life-changing experience where I learned to live without the support and closeness of family.  After the time was up, I really wanted to stay, but decided to go back to Minnesota to finish my degree in International Relations and French.

Since then I have married, completed a Master’s degree in International Education at Stanford University in California, and am raising two daughters with my husband, Olaf.  He is a computer science professor at St. Olaf and his email address is olaf@stolaf.edu   :)   (P.S.  We live on St. Olaf Avenue.)  I guess we were meant to be here!

I am so looking forward to meeting all of you who will be here in the Fall in the Class of 2016.  Congratulations on your acceptance!  Please contact me or any of the International Student Counselors as you have questions about your upcoming move to St. Olaf.

UM YA YA!  (A famous slogan and cheer unique to St. Olaf).