My alarm went off and I jerked out of bed
and run to my mum’s room. Mummy! Mummy! We need to go to the airport now,
otherwise the plane will leave me! Throughout the 1 hour journey my mind was
spinning and turning as worry waged in my mind about the plane living me.
Finally, we reached the airport and I was right on time for check-in. Phew! I
was finally settled. It was hard to say good-bye to my family and a few tears
did flow down, but their eyes glowed with great pride and optimism
(given their teenage daughter was flying alone for the first time). There was
no backing down now!
The flight was relaxing and calming. While
at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport, I met other Scholars from Kenya and immediately
the fear and anxiety melted away.
We started sharing and laughing about school, friends
and future plans. The journey took 6
hours and at midday, we arrived in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is such a beautiful
country! Despite its economic and political
instability, the breath-taking scenery and warmth of her people outweigh the
former.
Yale Young African Scholars was an
intellectual, leadership building, and fun-filled 5-day experience that united
talented and intelligent African young future leaders at the aesthetic Arundel
School. Meeting other participants was a hilarious experience; remembering everybody’s
name and nationality was studious!
As the birds hummed a morning
melody and the sun’s beautiful bright rays pierced through the sky, we woke up and freshened up for
the day. Breakfast was always served at 7:30 and by
8:30, we were expected to be in the lecture hall for the day’s lecture. The lectures
were very interactive and enlightening presentations- by notable speakers
and distinguished Yale lectures and faculty members- about various topics
like Cyber Internet, Leadership and Ethics, Nostalgia for the Colonial Times,
among others. Discussions then followed. These were one of my favourite parts
of the program because we got to share, discuss, and even counter-argue the
topics discussed in the lectures. The morning sessions were climaxed by
workshops, were aspects of the common application were explained (in my
workshop we always played buzz/bing before discussing!)
A
sumptuous lunch buffet awaited us at 12pm. The lunch break was one hour, during
which we could have special lunch sessions with the YYAS facilitators about
college life, cultural adjustments, applications, and career paths in fields
like medicine and engineering. After the delicious meal, we would proceed to
our seminars. All Scholars chose seminars that they wanted to participate in. I chose Digital
Footprints, Education Policy, Social Economic rights, and ‘What it means to be African?’ The
debates, presentations, practical and visual methods of presenting these topics
made them so interesting and easy to understand. During the program, we also had families and
every-day at 2:30-3:00 pm, we met our families and played and had fun together.
We got at connect
at a deeper
level with
our family members and leaders.
A College admissions student panels, keynote speakers, a Yale mixer
night, and admissions session were
some other events we enjoyed throughout the week. During admissions sessions, questions about SAT and
ACT, Financial aid, majors, and college life were addressed. One the second last day,we were separated in different
project groups and tasked to develop an “Afrotopia-a new Africa.”
The last night was lit! After the group presentations
(where we presented our ‘Afrotopia’ to fellow scholars) and certificate
ceremony, we had a talent show. It started off with a spoken word piece and
then several dance presentations followed: shoki, dubbing, nay nay, and many
more dance moves were showcased in the two hour performances. Musical talent
and several piano pieces and melodies were sang (the audience got to sing along
too!).
Yale Young African Scholars was a life
changing experience that challenged me to love my country and continent. Life-long
friends from Cameroon (one participant from Cameroon was Joy Jude- we shared a
name!), Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe,
Rwanda, Somalia, Somaliland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Mauritius were
forged. YYAS was an unforgettable experience because it was intellectually
stimulating yet so engaging and fun at the same time. Advice, Insight, contacts,
and selfies were shared. The Alumni of YYAS 2016 is a family of committed
teenage Africans united by a love for the motherland, and driven by a passion
to transform their communities by using their gifts, talents, and resources.
YYAS is the right place for any African
teenager, with a love for their continent, to connect with like-minded young
Africans with great visions and dreams!
