Mougoué was born in Cameroon (her parents are from Kékem and Bafang) but spent much of her childhood and young adulthood in the Midwestern United States, including Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, and Indiana. She also, almost literally, grew up on university campuses. Her father is a university finance professor; Mougoué grew up sitting at the back of classrooms listening to lectures on the stock market when there were no babysitters available (she still can’t claim to know anything about the stock market though!). Mougoué is the eldest of very tall brothers; she frequently reminds her younger brothers about her powerful firstborn status.
Mougoué is excitedly working on a graphic novel on the Anlu Rebellion that will visually examine how Kom women in western Cameroon disturbed local political power and protested against British rule in the Southern Cameroons from 1958 to 1961 (the women won). This (artistic) project reflects Mougoué’s lifelong passion for drawing and painting. . . which her father quickly shot down when she told him she wanted to be an art major in college. “I will not pay for you to draw. I will, however, pay for you to go to medical school and become a medical doctor,” he told her. So, Mougoué switched to being a history major; she avoided all paths leading to a medical career.
In addition to her academic interests, Mougoué is a committed volunteer for the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA). Her hobbies include long-distance running (her favorite runs were on Mount Cameroon and in Hawaiʻi, the Big Island), traveling, photography (click here for photograpy portfolio), painting, and writing poetry and short stories.
