Photo by Molly Harrell

Elizabeth Nkuo | Community Relations Manager

“Living in several countries has given me an appreciation for people of all nations and the ability to get along with different people,” Elizabeth says. 

She was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in London and the Netherlands.  Her parents are from Cameroon, West Africa.  They made sure that Elizabeth and her siblings learned their village’s language. 

Her sister, a university professor, lives in one of Cameroon’s biggest cities today: “Her home and way of life is comparable to any city in America.” 

But Elizabeth says she’s always struck by the extreme poverty she sees in Cameroon. “Like everyone, I am spoiled by the conveniences of living in America, but I am very aware of the excess too.” 

Her job at Blue Cross lets her give back to the community. “Regardless of where you live, we all seek opportunities, want happiness and fulfillment for ourselves and our families.”

More from Elizabeth:

On Life in Cameroon
It used to take hours to get to the village where my parents are from. During the rainy season, it was inevitable that the jeep we were riding in would get stuck in the mud. About 10 years ago, the road was paved. Now it's no different than riding a two-lane road that runs through small towns and winds through hillsides. 

When the movie Coming to America came out, I remember people asking me if life was like that in Cameroon.  Like the rest of Africa, Cameroon has a rich history and resourceful, skilled people. Cameroon is one of only a few countries that has two official languages – English and French (in addition to the hundreds of languages spoken there).

On Moving from Europe to the U.S.
I took my O'Levels (comprehensive exams) at age 16 so I was admitted to college two years early. I went to St. Joseph's College, a small liberal arts Catholic college in Rensselaer, Indiana. Our family is Catholic so my parents jumped at the opportunity to send me there!

St Joe’s is a college in the middle of cornfields. Living in Indiana was a really sharp contrast to living in a bigger city in the Netherlands.  It took me a while to unpack, because I was convinced I wouldn’t stay.  But of course, I made great friends there and ultimately loved my undergraduate college experience.

After college I worked in the Nutrition Marketing Department for a couple of years at the Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, Michigan. I loved working there because I got to travel representing the company at conferences and was able to get some valuable real-world experience.

I moved to South Carolina for USC's journalism graduate program. I had a graduate assistantship at a state government agency, before moving on to the local Girl Scout office. (Yes, I had to wear a uniform!) I've now been with BlueCross for nine years, working in public and community relations.