Larry Mbayu, Winona State University senior, is proud of where he came from, what he’s done, and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.
By Joel Badzinski
Larry Mbayu, WSU senior, is proud of where he came from, what he’s done, and what he hopes to accomplish in the future. But Mbayu doesn’t go out of his way to talk about his journey very often. He simply likes being known for who he is now. “People can’t tell the experiences I’ve been through,” Mbayu said. “I don’t really try to make it a topic.”
Mbayu, 23, was born and raised in the African nation of Cameroon. Mbayu was seven years old when his parents, Lawrence and Regine, decided to begin to move their family to the United States. Regine and daughter, LaToya, made the long journey to the U.S. first, while Lawrence remained in Africa with the boys, Larry and Lionel, who were sent to
a boarding school about two hours from their hometown.
Both boys have vague memories of witnessing violence during a period of civil unrest while they were at school. “It wasn’t a great situation for younger kids, but my brother was able to take care of me throughout a lot of it,” Mbayu said.
It would be five years before the family was reunited, when the boys and their father immigrated to the U.S., settling in Oakdale, Minn., a Twin Cities suburb. Mbayu entered seventh grade that fall, while his older brother was in high school, so he was on his own trying to figure out a new school in a new country. “It was a pretty lonely experience at first,” Mbayu recalled.
With the help of his parents and siblings, Mbayu grew from an overwhelmed newcomer to a popular and successful student-athlete. Mbayu went out for the soccer team, because it was the sport he and Lionel grew up playing in Cameroon. Then his friends talked him into trying football. “I had no idea what football was. I had never heard of it,” Mbayu said. “Then I started practicing a lot, trying to get better at it.”
Education is Key
Winona State was the first school to talk seriously to Mbayu about playing football. It was just the spark he needed. “From then on, I started hustling to get my grades up,” Mbayu said. Mbayu earned
a football scholarship and was a key starter as a cornerback in both his junior and senior years. Last January he was invited to play in the post-season Dream Bowl, a pro scouting showcase for small college players in Virginia Beach, Va. He is on schedule to graduate in December 2015, with a major in graphic design.
Mbayu’s parents are college graduates, as are his sister and brother. He attributes his success to his close-knit family and the experiences they shared. “They are my motivation,” Mbayu said. “I see how hard they work and they’ve set the way for me.”
