Living the Pokemon Go dream

One Fresno State student is chasing Pokemon and her dreams. Cindy Kouyate’s key chain, which holds her Master Ball charm, is a daily reminder to do her best. “From what i’ve heard,” Kouyate says, with eyes fixed on the pink, purple, white and black charm, “you only get one [shot], so you have one shot to get something really amazing.”

Kouyate says she hopes to get her Master Ball in PokeGo, which is a rare accomplishment. Capturing the Master Ball guarantees you the ability to catch almost any of the Wild Pokemon that might be lingering around, and she hopes to have that within her grasp someday.

Kouyate is a Fresno State senior majoring in psychology with a minor in criminology. She’s also the student director of Vintage Days and president of the Geeks and Gamers Club–all while being on level 27 of Pokemon Go. Level 27 is a pretty huge accomplishment within the Pokemon Go Realm.

In the virtual world of Pokemon Go, as Kouyate likes to call it, she chases Pokemon, hoping to get to the highest level. In the real world, she chases aspirations that are arguably just as important. With hopes of getting her doctorate in psychology, she wants to help people who may be battling depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts.

“What i’m hoping to do is kind of expand my knowledge and my practice all over the place, not necessarily in a clinic but hopefully setting up programs and awareness events on campuses maybe around the nation that will bring more awareness to the things that students suffer through,” she says.

Others have taken notice of Kouyate’s goals, recognizing her hard work and compassion.

“She’s a very intelligent, driven and hard working individual,” says Boris Rudolfs, an member of the Geeks and Gamers club Kouyate leads. “And she’s one of the sweetest individuals I know.”

Rudolfs believes that these qualities are what have helped her become successful and will continue to help her pursue her goals. “Indeed, these attributes are what set her apart from many individuals and students on campus. They are also quite inspiring, showcasing a positive attitude that some would prefer to cast aside in the name of popular cynicism.”

So far, Kouyate catches Pokemon, hoping to get her hands on the Master Ball and aspires to one day open her own practice. But that’s not all. “In addition to that, I also hope to do a little profiling on the side as well,” she says. “In the past few years, there have been a lot of shootings going on around campuses and schools like that. I would like to kind of pin down a specific profile for students who may be prone to such behaviors and kind of find a way to see if we can look for warning signs and kind of prevent these tragedies from happening.”

Ashley Flowers, a member of the Geeks and Gamers Club, believes that Kouyate’s heart for others is one of the main reasons why she is so compelled to do what she does. “Cindy is very considerate towards others. She’s also very clever and driven. She’s able to juggle so many responsibilities at once, and she never does any of them half-heartedly.”

Whether it’s Pokemon, Master Balls or her dreams, Kouyate hopes to catch them all. She will be catching her Bachelor’s Degree in Spring 2017.