One suitcase, two children and a husband is all that Lucretia Goe took with her as she fled her native country of Liberia in 1990 to come to the United States.
Tuesday night Goe spoke to about 100 students about her family's experiences with the Liberian Civil War of 1990 as part of Ball State University's Freshman Connections program.
Goe said freed American slaves searching for a new home established Liberia in the 1800s and set up their own democratic government by taking several aspects of the American government.
In April of 1980, however, that changed with the assassination of President William Tolbert in his mansion by decommissioned military Sergeant Samuel Doe and his military coup.
"Once our leaders take office, they don't want to let go," she said.
What followed was ten years of uneasy life for Liberians due to the oppression of a president who implemented many authoritative laws.
Because of this, her family members fled their hometown and made their way to the neighboring country of Sierra Leone as fighting within the country intensified.
"You cannot pack a whole house in an instant," Goe said. "The only thing you think about is your life."
During the escape to Sierra Leone, the family met many families that had been separated. Children walked alone and husbands were taken in the middle of the night, she told the audience.
"One thing we were thankful for: we were together," said Goe.
After a year in Sierra Leone living in a one-room apartment and barely scraping by, the family made contact with one of their former Peace Corps friends, who flew Goe, her family and their one suitcase to Maryland where her children started school and her husband started a job.
"I think it's pretty cool how she overcame all of that," said Adam Barnes, a freshman graphic arts major.
Goe said the country of Liberia is slowly recovering from the Civil War that resurfaced in 2003, and she has since returned to the country twice with the Friends of Liberia, a non-profit organization aimed at returning teachers and schools to the country.
The students who attended said they enjoyed the talk.
"I liked it. She gave us insight to what she went through," said freshman Jeremy Owens. "She was a good storyteller."
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