Stanley Mathabane - Bridge Year Senegal
My name is Stanley Mathabane and I am from Portland, Oregon! I was born in North Carolina to a father from South Africa and a mother from Ohio who met at journalism school at Colombia. In Portland I’ve been very involved in the music scene around Portland, playing genres ranging from “Indie Pop” to “traditional jazz”, and playing instruments ranging from the drum machine to the bassoon. If it makes music, chances are I’ve tried to learn how to play it at some point. Along with my love for music I participated in the “We the People” constitution team competition sophomore year which was a nationwide program which allowed students to debate constitutional issues in a faux debate setting with state Supreme Court justices and local politicians. This was a huge turning point in my life as I began to learn more about questioning the things around me that I had taken as law before (This revelation was compounded with my then growing obsession with the works of Henry David Thoreau). I also have a great love for theater, participating and many “New works festival” plays and preforming at venues ranging from local high schools to theaters in Scotland.