-Nelson Mandela
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| Jeff Kayombo '17 (left) with his new friends at YYAS 2017 in Ghana. |
I learned about YYAS through a poster that was stuck on the notice boards at school. At that time I was writing my end-of-year exams and I thought it would be wise if I gave it a try as I was going to be free that upcoming holiday. As I curiously started my application and got to learn more about the program, I was so driven and amazed by the academic content and the way it’s conducted. I had always had a huge interest in connecting to a wider network and community of young people across the continent, but I never pictured myself to be part of that until YYAS. Because of my determination and my parents’ support and confidence in me, I was so fortunate that I got accepted into the YYAS 2017 program.
Meeting new people and making incredible friends meant so much as I was able to share my perspective and ideas with peers from all over Africa. I also had the opportunity to learn from my friends about their different educational systems, cultures, and languages. YYAS provided a very safe, sustainable, and conducive leaning environment for all.
One thing I love about the Yale Young African Scholars program is that, as much as it is designed for African secondary school students, it is actually taught by Yale student instructors! The interaction that I had with Yalies themselves was so exciting. As a workshop group we would take short breaks and play awesome games that required a lot of thinking and were very enjoyable, ones that I will never forget. My favorite game was “Buzz-Buzz”.
While at YYAS I also learned how to be responsible and a team player through various activities that I took part in, such as the Lily Pads game. Personal responsibility was a constant theme during YYAS because it’s what is expected of everyone while at university or college. During free time I could often be found at the basketball court with friends playing basketball or football; there my friends and I would swap stories about growing up in our home countries. Being among this wide and diverse community of young people from all over Africa with different beliefs, cultures, and views made me think critically and outside the box. The way I used to approach one-on-one conversations and group discussions before and after YYAS has been quite a development. And as much as it was a very busy academic week, I also enjoyed the food: our first meal upon arrival was accompanied by some Ghanaian local yam!
It was at YYAS that I gained so much knowledge on different topics such as ethics of leadership and the importance of working together to embrace diversity, as well as other interesting topics and discussions that were covered during the seminars. One particularly enlightening moment was during a seminar titled “The Little Rhino that Couldn’t: Poaching and Conservation in Southern and Eastern Africa” when I learned how rhinos are one of the world’s critically endangered species. We also talked about possible measures that can be put in place to try and rehabilitate our natural resources. I found these conversations to be so interesting because I consider myself to be an environmentalist. The fact that the YYAS program covers a wide range of topics including leadership, culture, technology, human rights, wildlife and environmental protection, to mention a few, was so inspiring – the program truly encapsulated the meaning of diversity!
I would personally recommend the Yale Young African Scholars Program to all African high school students who are driven and would like to explore the many aspects of university life!
