The atmosphere was totally electric inside the stadium as well as all of the surrounding areas in downtown Atlanta. There appeared to be thousands of Congolese fans or Congo fans, I should say.

Toes are not made for end-of-toe kicks, so I quickly learned to imitate my playmates by kicking with the top of the foot. No one had shin guards, so we all took care not to hit shin on shin too often. We could play on most any surface, large or small, with a couple of sticks to mark each goal.

Many Education Congo board members, including Jimmy Shafe ’67 and Margaret Loewen ‘72, grew up in Congo and attended The American School of Kinshasa (TASOK). Because we saw the need, we all became involved in Education Congo, which raises funds for higher education as the long-term solution for building a stronger Congo. Our deep connections to Congo have also led to the development of the TASOK Scholarship Fund for UPC students— which will keep paying out to scholarships yea