A conversation with Makatas Dancers founder Joetta Julugbeh

Joetta, a young Idaho educator, shares about pushing through struggles to embrace her calling

Mosaics is thrilled to welcome guest Joetta Julugbeh of Pocatello, Idaho.  Joetta works in the classroom as a K-12 teaching assistant while earning her degree in education.  

Joetta is the founder of the Makatas Dancers, a mentorship program that teaches girls traditional African dances, and the Makatas Heart Foundation, which works to advance education in Liberia.  

“My mom told me, ‘If you are able to, once you’re stable, don’t forget the others,’” Joetta said. “And that’s what we’ve been doing.” 

Joetta and her family resettled in Boise in 2003 when she was 10 years old. She graduated from Boise High School in 2012 and later earned the title of Miss Africa Idaho, representing Liberia. 

Join our conversation to learn what Joetta’s first week in Boise was like, and why her fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Lincoln, inspired her to become a teacher herself. 

You can see the Makatas Dancers in action at World Refugee Day Boise on June 17!