issue 01
n April 21st, 2016, Deborah Bakaimani, my former VP of Operations for Ambiance Magazine LA/ATL was called into transition.
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Deborah “Debbi Deb� Bakaimani was born in Los Angeles CA in the winter of 1970. At the age of 6 mos. She and her parents went to Blantyre Malawi to live, while there her two sisters were born. Chichewa
december 2020
is her native language, and she did not learn English until she moved back to the states in 1976. Schooling was hindered for the first year since she could not speak English. That struggle gave her an insatiable thirst for learning. During her elementary and high school years she received many awards for her academic achievements which ultimately inspired her to become a teacher herself.
When attending John Adams Middle school, she was tested for and placed in the Gifted Magnet program where she excelled. It was also during this time that she volunteered at St. Agnes Catholic school as a teacher’s assistant and found a love not only for the children but art as well. She attended classes and workshops in her free time at U.S.C. that were geared for her love of teaching and creating. Deborah was accepted into Los An-
