Basilica

'Ascension Gave Me the Framework'

Curiosity helped Seleeke Flingai get where he is today: Doing research and advocacy around criminal justice reform. He credits the time he spent at Ascension Catholic School as his guiding force.

“Ascension, more than any other place, gave me the moral framework that has guided all of my career decisions,” he said. “It helped me see where I fit in the world. If I had not gone to Ascension, I don’t know what views I would have prioritized.”

Seleeke came to Ascension as a kindergartner, graduated in 2003 and got his high school diploma from Totino-Grace. He surprised even himself when he was accepted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “I thought I was going to go to the University of Minnesota or Wisconsin,” he said. “MIT was a moon-shot school.”

At the time, he wanted to be a video game developer but ended up teaching himself programming with information he found online. He considered psychology and philosophy, eventually getting his degree in neuroscience. He worked as a researcher throughout his time at MIT.

Again, his curiosity lead the way. “I wanted to solve puzzles, and that’s how I viewed research.” He went on to earn a doctoral degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology with a Certificate in Public Health at the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in Public Affairs at Princeton.

“I had to ask myself, how do I have the impact I want to have?” Seleeke said. “Going to MIT gave me the privilege to dream big.”

In his work as Research Associate at the Vera Institute of Justice, he studies racial disparities in criminal justice and advocates for reduced incarceration. The work is rewarding, frustrating and tiring, yet he feels a strong moral purpose: “You’re in it, mentally, every day, dealing with discouragement,” Seleeke said. “It takes a mental toll, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing anything else.

“It never crossed my mind to choose a field just because I could make a lot of money.”

The staff at Ascension loved the scholars. “They gave me the opportunity to really believe in my abilities,” he said. “Teachers were nothing but supportive.”

His hope for today’s scholars is to fully own what you want to do. “There are a lot of supportive pressures you should lean into rather than the negative pressures,” he said. “Even if you don’t see people like you who are doing something, you can still do it.”

And, above all, develop curiosity. “Feeding that can lead to so many great opportunities.”